


The Only Exception

by meet_me_onthe_equinox



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: Anxiety, Fluff, Social Anxiety
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-12
Updated: 2018-05-28
Packaged: 2018-06-07 09:43:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 113
Words: 81,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6798772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meet_me_onthe_equinox/pseuds/meet_me_onthe_equinox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>What could have happened right after Flu Season's ending.</p>
          </blockquote>





	1. Christmas at Ludgate-Dwyer's

‘‘How much longer do we have to wait?’’ Andy asks, pacing from one side of the room to the other.

‘‘I told you, until they both fall asleep’’. April answers, without looking away from the collection of tales by Poe she is reading. Or, should one say, pretending to read. Deep inside, she is as excited as Andy is, if not more.

‘‘And how are we supposed to know when that’s going to happen? It’s not like they snore or anything. Oh! I know! We send Champion to their rooms, he checks if they are still awake, and if they’re not, we start putting the presents under the tree’’.

April sighs, not due to exasperation (even though she knows there would be no way for Champion to communicate with them at such a level), but to the nervousness she is feeling herself. What if they get caught? Will they like the gifts she has bought? What is she going to get this year? She can’t wait any longer either.

‘‘Okay, listen’’ April says, putting the book away and getting off the bed. ‘‘You know the drill. We need to be quiet. Like, Burt Macklin quiet. And you can’t open any of your presents until tomorrow’’.

‘‘What if they’re not mine?’’

‘‘Then, yes.’’

‘‘Really?’’

‘‘No’’, says April, taking his hand. They leave the room, looking both sides of the hallway. Everything is quite dark, but the moonlight filtered through the windows is enough to check that both Jack and Natalie are in their respective rooms.

‘‘Seems like the coast is clear’’, Andy whispers. ‘‘Follow me, I hid them well’’

Andy heads to the door that leads to the garage. April goes right behind him. If their hands happened to be making finger guns, it would be just like that first date at the Snakehole Lounge, when they also had to be sneaky. Once in the garage, there is not much more than their car and the remains of a bunch of Andy’s weird experiments.

‘‘Andy, there are no gifts here’’, April panics. ‘‘Please, tell me they are in the trunk’’.

‘‘No! I mean, that is where I thought I would put them in the first place. But then I remembered Jack often uses the trunk as a hiding place when he gets tired of people. So I threw them to the upper shelf of this closet’’. The closet Andy is referring to is too high for any of them reaching that last shelf. ‘‘They could never get the presents from here, even if they knew they were already at home’’. Andy seems so proud of his smart thinking.

April smiles a bit, relieved that the presents are not lost. ‘‘So, how are we gonna get them?’’.

Andy smiles back, self-confident. ‘‘One word: shoulder ride’’.  Andy gets down on one knee, as if he were about to ask her to be his manager again. April doubts at first, she doesn’t want his back to get hurt. ‘‘Get on, babe’’, he encourages her. And so she does. April sways a bit while he gets up, but she quickly gets her balance by grabbing both sides of Andy’s face.

‘‘Okay, I got them’’. April picks one present at a time and hands them to Andy. Then, he gently kneels down again so she can get off. ‘‘Remember: we need to be quiet’’.

April leans out of the garage door. There is no sign of Natalie or Jack. Just Champion’s silhouette, who is probably wondering what the heck his owners are doing. ‘‘Let’s go’’.  They carry the presents to the living room and put them under the web-covered tree. April grabs her husband by the hand and heads back to their bedroom. But Andy won’t move. ‘‘You go, honey. I’ll be there in a sec’’.  April doubts. ‘‘Okay. But don’t. Open. Any.’’ ‘‘I won’t’’, he replies with widen, innocent eyes.

As soon as April is gone, Andy goes back to the garage and opens the trunk of the car. There they are: the gifts he bought for April. If it wasn’t for the wrapping paper, one could see the pack of tarot cards and the henna with creepy patterns for temporary tattoos. Andy carries both boxes to the living room, and leaves them right next to the other ones. Suddenly, the sound of a door opening comes from the hallway. <<That must have been Champion>>, Andy tells to himself. <<Wait…>>. Andy jumps out of the window as soon as he realizes dogs can’t turn knobs.

April wonders what Andy could possibly be doing at the other side of their bedroom door. She hears Jack getting out of his room and she is about to reach out too when Andy knocks at the window. ‘‘What the hell?’’, she mutters. April opens the window so Andy can get in. ‘‘What happened to you? Did any of them see you?’’, she whispers. ‘‘No, but Jack is awake’’.

By the time Jack opens the door of his parent’s bedroom, they are both in bed, covered with blankets. ‘‘Mom, I woke up from the coolest nightmare, I can’t wait to tell you about it. Also, it seems like Santa came already. Or whatever.’’


	2. Of Ball Pools and Zombies

‘‘Woooh! Look at that!’’ says Andy, as he reads Natalie’s term grades. She just aced it. ‘‘That’s my gir!’’.

Natalie stands with both hands behind her back. Her long, blond hair tied in a ponytail. She is slightly taller than the table her parents sit at.

‘‘Dad, I’m just in first grade. It’s not that hard’’.

‘‘We are still proud’’, says April.

‘‘I think we should celebrate this’’, Andy adds. ‘‘What would you like to do?’’

Natalie takes her time to answer. ‘‘Anything I want?’’

Andy nods, as his wife starts to worry.

‘‘I… I’d like to go to Chuck E. Cheese’s and eat some pizza’’.

‘‘YES!’’, Andy exclaims. ‘‘That’s the best place ever!’’. April does not seem very excited about it, though. ‘‘Please, can we go? Please… she even got an A in History and who even needs that?’’

April bites her lip, still unpleased with the idea of eating lunch surrounded by loud people, playing stupid games and being stupid. But it only takes one look at Nat’s face to make April change her mind. ‘‘Ugh… Okay’’.

‘‘Awesome!’’. Andy and Natalie high five. ‘‘Jaaack! Guess what!’’

Jack, who is already 8, gets out of his room and meets his family at the living room. He has a small paintbrush in one hand, and different shades of blue stain his clothes. ‘‘What?’’

‘‘We’re going to Chuck E. Cheese’s’’, Andy is radiant.

Jack and April exchange a significant look. ‘‘I know’’, she says. ‘‘But last week we made them come to the bodies-without-skin exhibition, remember? We owe them’’.

‘‘Those were skinless bodies?’’, asks Natalie, clearly grossed out. ‘‘I thought they were just sunburned mannequins… or people from Mars’’.

‘‘Me too!’’ Andy agrees, now confused.

Jack sighs. ‘‘Alright… But only if I can say weird things to people in Spanish’’.

* * *

It is hard for Andy to wait until Natalie finishes her last slice of pizza. ‘‘I’m done’’, she says at last. ‘‘Great! Let’s see if I can sneak into the ball pool this time!’’. Andy takes Natalie by the hand and both leave the table.

‘‘At least the pizza is good’’, says April. 

‘‘Yeah. I was planning on throwing it at the other kids from behind, but it isn’t totally disgusting, so I’m eating it instead’’, Jack admits.

‘‘How can they find this remotely fun?’’, April wonders. ‘‘That ball pool, I bet it’s full of vomit’’.

‘‘Aha. And sure the slide is so sticky that you need to push people down by kicking their asses’’.

‘‘And that light gun game, it probably doesn’t even have any zombies to kill’’.

Jack looks closely at the arcade his mother is referring to. ‘‘I think it actually does have zombies… Lame zombies, probably’’.

Both remain in silence for a few seconds. But April knows his son. ‘‘Wanna check how lame they are?’’

‘‘Yes’’.

By the time Andy and Natalie get to where the zombies’ game is, April and Jack’s score is at the top of the ranking. ‘‘Not bad!’’, says Andy, his hair partially covered in confetti.

It has not been an hour before Jack is pushing kids through the slide –and ultimately just sliding and having fun-, and April letting Andy win at skee ball so he can get her a teddy bear. Or maybe a billion of them.


	3. Before Leaving

Buildings and stores were passing by the car window, but April was barely aware of it. At that moment, all Pawnee structures seemed like tombstones to her. Who would have thought leaving that stupid town would be so hard? And, if it was this tough for her, she couldn’t imagine how Andy must be feeling. He had said it was okay, but still… Pawnee would always be their home.

The light was red and Andy stopped the car. Right next to them, there was a red brick small building: Tom’s Bistro.

‘‘Wait’’, April said. ‘‘We’re heading East. We need to turn back and take the highway’’.

‘‘I know’’, Andy replied calmly. ‘‘I just need to check something first’’.

What did he want to see now? Probably some Mouse Rat member he had not yet said goodbye to, or maybe he wanted to make a quick visit to his niece Rebecca. But, as soon as City Hall appeared on the horizon, she knew it was not about any of that.

Andy parked in a handicap parking spot, probably without realizing it, and stopped the engine. ‘‘Can we go in for a second? I think I left here my computer when I picked up my stuff’’.

‘‘It wasn’t actually your…’’ April began to say, but Andy had already got out of the car, and was opening the back door so Champion could get out too. April sighed and did the same.

‘‘No dogs allowed’’, said a grouchy voice behind their back just when they reached the main entrance. It was Ethel Beavers, their adopted grandma.

‘‘Ethel! I don’t know if you know this, but we are leaving Pawnee’’. To April’s surprise, there was no hint of sadness in his voice. Just… excitement.

‘‘I don’t care’’, Ethel responded.

‘‘Can you watch Champion for us while we are inside? It won’t take us much’’. Andy handed the dog’s leash to Ethel, put his arm around April’s waist and dragged her gently into the building before the old woman could say no.

‘‘Seriously, what are we doing here?’’ April asked. But he did not answer. He seemed to be heading to the Parks Department… except he did not enter the bullpen. Instead, Andy kept walking towards an old, wooden bench on the right side of the hallway. Now April knew what all that was about.

‘‘I know the shoe shine stand is now in basement storage’’, he said. ‘‘But this is where we first kissed. I mean, technically it was the second time, but… Here’s where all started’’.

April’s face showed no emotion. But that was precisely because she had been hit by waves of memories, passing through her brain like the flashbacks of a life that had not begun until the moment she met him. And she was overwhelmed and mesmerized by each one of them.

Andy started to think taking her there had not been such a great idea after all, since her expression was still frozen. But then, April snapped out of it and looked him directly into the eyes. She gave him that particular smile that showed she had something in mind.

April got on the bench, and their height difference was now compensated. She put her arms around Andy’s neck and they shared their last kiss in Pawnee. Unlike the first one, this kiss was more thoughtful and delicate. Slower.

‘‘Now, let’s go for the next cool and awesome thing in the city that never sleeps’’, he said.

‘‘That’s not…’’

‘‘I know, I know. Cities can’t sleep. It’s just a saying, babe’’.


	4. Bad Day Cure

The house was extremely quiet when April got home. Usually, cartoons were loud on TV, and she would hear them wrestling on the living room floor. But not today. Maybe they were taking Champion out, or grocery shopping -a.k.a. buying lots of candy but no actual food-. That was good, she needed some alone time anyway. After a whole day talking to people, she was drained.

April went to her bedroom, tossed the work bag to the floor and changed into her cozy pajamas. Then, she lay upon the bed and took a deep breath. She had not bothered turning the light on, so the room darkened as the sun went down. The sky had turned orange when she heard them coming home. As much as she wanted to see her family, she could not find the strength to get up.

Someone knocked at the bedroom door. ‘‘Honey?’’, Andy whispered, opening it just a crack. The TV was now on, and she could hear Natalie complaining about Jack’s never-ending zapping. ‘‘Hi’’, she said. ‘‘Come in’’. Andy closed the door behind him and sat on the edge of the bed. He took her hand. It was cold, but he could warm it up.

‘‘I knew you had a meeting today, so I took them out for a while’’.

‘‘Thank you’’. April felt much better now. She sat up. ‘‘What did you do?’’

‘‘Went to the park, played some football… I taught them how to throw the perfect spiral. Jack is almost there, but Nat insists on spinning around first, you know, like an actual spiral. Turns out it’s way funnier that way.’’

April could not help but laugh. Andy hugged her and she felt physically and emotionally restored. That horrible meeting had almost faded from her memory, and it seemed like there were no people in the world other than her family. She felt a sudden urge to hug her children too. ‘‘I wanna see them’’, she said.

‘‘Cool!’’, said Andy as they left the bedroom. ‘‘Can we order pizza? I’ll make the call’’.

‘‘Okay’’, she replied. ‘‘And then I’ll make the prank call’’.


	5. Maybe We Can Do This

They were showing one of Andy’s favorite movies on TV and he was super excited, as if he had not seen it a hundred times before. It was about a guy named Rambo, and it had enough bloody content for April to also like it. They were lying on the couch and she had her feet on his lap, as he was massaging them.

‘‘Oh, man!’’, Andy said when the commercial break interrupted a shooting scene. ‘‘That was the best part!’’

April rested her head on the cushion and closed her eyes. She could not think of any better way of spending a Sunday, comfortable under a blanket, watching a dumb movie while listening to Andy’s funny comments as he massag… Wait, he had stopped doing that. April opened her eyes.

Andy was staring at the screen, his eyes tearful. A commercial showed a happy family –all wearing vests, so they must be quite healthy-. They had a dog, and the father was playing frisbee with his two children. The movie started again as soon as it ended, but Andy was no longer paying attention to it. Instead, he remained with a lost gaze and gulped trying not to cry.

‘‘Hey…’’ April changed her position so she would be closer to him. ‘‘What’s wrong?’’

‘‘Nothing.’’ Andy’s voice was quivery, so he cleared his throat. He smiled joylessly, tucked April’s hair behind her ear and looked away, putting his eyes back on the screen. But April knew her husband well enough.

‘‘Look, I’ve been thinking a lot since Halloween’’, she said.

‘‘You know already what our next costumes will be?’’

‘‘Yes, but that’s not what I’ve been thinking.’’ She was avoiding eye contact by playing with the ropes of Andy’s hoodie. That could only mean she was about to say something important, so Andy looked at her again. ‘‘Maybe we can do this, you know? I mean, having kids without them being completely lame.’’

Andy’s face lit and his jaw dropped.

‘‘I guess we can always teach them how to prank people, make fake blood or win slip ‘n slide competitions’’, she continued.

‘‘So, that means…’’, said Andy, still not able to believe it.

‘‘But… What if something bad happens? What if I don’t know how to react? You know, for Leslie it’s easy, she always has everything under control. It’s too much responsibility and I…’’

‘‘Hey. First of all, we were willing to get rid of those stink bombs in order to take care of the triplets, right? That means we’re responsible enough for this. And second, are you kidding me? You would be the coolest mom a kid could have! Plus, if you can keep me from being food poisoned, you can do the same for them.’’

April smiled thoughtfully, looking him in the eyes at last. He was right. Their team would be awesome. She took the remote, turned the TV off and kissed him ardently. Jack was on the way.


	6. The Claimed Spot

That one song by The Gabe Dixon Band was playing as Andy drove the red truck they had rented through the dusty dirt road - one hand on the steering wheel, the other playing with April’s. It was a sunny clear day in the desert of Arizona, and they were bound for the Grand Canyon.

‘‘Wow, look at those creepy houses!’’, said an excited Jack from the back seat. He was referring to the wooden old houses that stood here and there, on both sides of the road. ‘‘You think there are people living there?’’

‘‘If there are, they must be pretty bored’’, Andy replied. ‘‘There’s nothing in like, 6 miles around. Losers’’, he laughed.

‘‘Uncle Ron would like that’’. Natalie could not take her eyes off the car window.

* * *

Although it was not the first time April and Andy visited the South Rim, there was something they had not seen yet: The Grand Canyon Skywalk. April was not very pleased about it - the platform was one of the most crowded places of the area. But Andy had wanted to go there since the previous week, when he first knew it existed.

 _The first step is the killer_ , a sign read right before the horseshoe-shaped bridge. Jack rolled his eyes, but opened them widely when he saw the transparent glass under his feet and the 2000 ft of emptiness between himself and the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

‘‘Wooooah!’’ Andy followed his son, barely aware of anything but what spread before and below him. ‘‘This is awesome!’’

Jack and Andy lay on the transparent floor, amazed by the view. Despite the stupid tourists that pushed each other’s way through the platform, April found all of that cool enough. She just could not find a way to be annoyed by it. But, still, there was something missing.

‘‘Mom…’’ Natalie called from behind. She was grabbing the handrail with both hands, and fear showed on her face.

Immediately, April turned around and walked back to where her daughter stood. She squatted and held out her hand. ‘‘Wanna go inside?’’

Slowly, Natalie let go of the handrail and took her mother’s hand. Once inside the building, April picked a bench where they could be away from the crowd. She sat there and helped Nat climb to her lap. April hugged the young girl, kissing her forehead. ‘‘Did that scare you?’’

‘‘Yes. It was so high! And there were too many people on it! What if it breaks down?’’ Nat’s eyes were teary. She gasped in realization. ‘‘Jack and dad are still there! We need to…’’

‘‘Shh…’’ April interrupted. ‘‘It won’t break down, okay?’’ she said, softly. ‘‘It’s been here for years and nothing has happened. They’ll be ok. Plus, we’re going somewhere else after this, somewhere better.’’

‘‘Really?’’ Nat was half-smiling now, and seemed somehow reassured.

‘‘Yes.’’

The six-year-old rested her head against April’s shoulder and closed her eyes.

* * *

‘‘ _I claim this spot in name of April and Andy!_ ’’ That is what Andy had said when they first went to the Grand Canyon. Now, years later, they were at the exact same spot. No gift shops, no tourists… just them. Except now, their two awesome children accompanied them.

The family sat near the edge of the cliff, staring at the sunset. The once blue sky was now red, orange and, to Natalie’s joy, also pink. The Canyon’s walls reflected those shades like a rusty mirror.

‘‘You were right, mom. This place is so much better.’’


	7. Would You Show Me How?

‘‘What’s up with those cellos?’’ Andy asked, raising his voice a little bit so the kids at the end of the class could hear him. ‘‘Guys, I need you to hold the note till the drums come in, okay? Let’s start from the top.’’ All the students turned the pages of their scores, but the school bell rang before they could play the piece again.

Andy sighed. Time always went so fast when he was teaching those kids. He enjoyed it so much, because it combined the two things he was best at: dealing with children and music. Andy had improved his knowledge on the latter since he left Pawnee, and taught himself how to play a wide range of instruments. Now, he was a teacher at the same school Jack and Natalie attended.

‘‘Well, I guess that’s it for today… Unless that was the fire alarm.’’ All the students laughed, as if he had been joking. But Andy’s worry was real, and Jack shook his head in order to reassure his father. ‘‘Okay then, see you tomorrow!’’ The students put the instruments back in their cases and left the classroom - some of them high fived Andy on their way out.

Only Jack remained sat by his desk, carefully casing his precious violin. He liked to spend recess in the music room, practicing with his dad or simply reading. He did not fit in with the other kids, nor did he want to. Sometimes Andy would go hang out with the other teachers, but he’d much rather spend those fifteen minutes with his son.

‘‘Dad, can you close the door? It’s too damn loud out there’’.

‘‘Watch your mouth, mister.’’ That was not Andy’s voice. It was April’s and she was obviously joking. She could not care less about the cursing. She had entered the classroom with Natalie by the hand. Andy lifted up his head from the composition he was working on and greeted his wife with a long hug. Then, he knelt and high fived Natalie. ‘‘Hello, birthday girl! Ready to go get your present?’’ The six-year-old grinned, nodding her head yes.

‘‘But we still have two hours of class left’’, Jack said. ‘‘Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I don’t want to ditch P.E., but…’’

‘‘I took care of that.’’ Said Andy. ‘‘Just… cough a little if we meet the principal on our way out.’’

Jack tried to fight a smile, but he failed.

* * *

The store was full of shiny instruments of all kinds. Guitars hanged on the walls, and Andy stopped to look at them, mesmerized.

‘‘Here they are!’’ Natalie exclaimed from a corner of the store. When the rest of the family met her, she was pointing at a bunch of synthesizers. Andy had taught her how to play the old synth they had in school, and it was about time she had one of her own.

‘‘Cool’’, April said. ‘‘Which one do you like most, sweetie?’’

Natalie played them all, and eventually picked the purple one. Andy made sure it had a proper sound, and looked the brand up on his cell phone in order to check its quality. They were heading for the register when something caught Natalie’s attention. A big, black piano stood out near them. Nat walked slowly towards the instrument, and sat by it. A clerk approached them, and was about to say something, but April scared him away with just one look.

Natalie caressed the keys and pressed one of them. She closed her eyes, as the sound filled the room and echoed before fading. Andy sat next to her. ‘‘Would you like to play this big guy instead?’’

The girl opened her eyes. ‘‘Would you show me how?’’, she asked eagerly.

‘‘Are you kidding? Of course I would! We can even play together.’’

Her little face was not wide enough for the smile she gave him.

Jack and April came closer to them, her hands now rubbing Andy’s shoulders. ‘‘What do you say, babe?’’

April thought about it for a second. Yes, they had some savings. But she did not like to have them - saving money was as boring as the people who did so. Plus, purple was an awful color.

‘‘Okay’’, she answered, smiling as her daughter clapped with joy. ‘‘Where is that stupid clerk?’’

‘‘More like stupid jerk’’, Jack added, giving his sister a wink.


	8. Roommates

A sleepy Ben entered the kitchen, dragging his feet. April was already up, and she was making coffee. She was wearing Andy’s boxers and one of her husband’s plaid shirts over a tank top.

‘‘Morning’’, said Ben as he sat by the kitchen table and buried his face in his hands.

‘‘Wow, you look terrible.’’ April poured a mug of coffee and handed it to Ben. ‘‘I thought you were spending the night at Leslie’s. Did you guys break up at last?’’

‘‘No.’’ Ben frowned, the sole idea of not being with Leslie again made him sick. ‘‘She told me I should go home and have a good night’s sleep so I could come up with a great campaign move today.’’

‘‘But she kept calling you all night to tell you about her own ideas, right?’’, April guessed.

‘‘Right. And the worst part is, I’ve got nothing.’’ Ben sighed.

April bit her lip, like she always did when she was on the fence about helping someone or not. She opened the garbage can and picked that day’s newspaper up. Ben was subscribed to the Pawnee Journal, but April would throw it away whenever she had the chance.

‘‘Hey, I wanted to read that!’’

‘‘Shut up, weirdo. Look, there’s this stupid Pawnee-Eagleton High School basketball game next weekend. In this town, it’s bigger than the Super Bowl. Even I used to go.’’

‘‘Really?’’

‘‘Just to throw chewed gum at players from the bleachers. Point is, you could air a TV ad at halftime.’’

Ben mulled it over for a few seconds.

‘‘Wow, that’s… That’s a great idea, April.’’ It was hard to believe such an –apparently- apathetic person could have thought of a plan that brilliant.  

‘‘Don’t tell them it was mine, though. Pretend you did spend the night working or whatever.’’ She avoided eye contact by staring at the carpet.

‘‘Why?’’

‘‘Just don’t, okay?’’

The sound of April and Andy’s bedroom door opening came from the back of the house. Andy got to the living room, and since the kitchen had no walls, they could see he was wearing nothing but his Mouse Rat T-shirt. ‘‘Honey, have you seen my b…’’

‘‘Andy!’’ April warned him of Ben’s presence, as the latter covered his eyes with one hand.

‘‘Oh, sorry…’’ Andy shrugged, turned back and went for more clothes.

‘‘Good Lord!’’

‘‘It was your fault, anyways’’, April said to Ben. ‘‘You should’ve told us you were sleeping here’’.

‘‘Of course.’’


	9. Better Than The Stupid People

Andy struggled to read the last line of the novel out loud, and did so with a broken voice. The night light on Jack’s bedside table illuminated his weepy eyes, but he managed not to drop any tear.

‘‘C’mon, Dad. It’s not like you didn’t know the ending’’.

That was true. Andy had read _A Monster Calls_ countless times by then; it was Jack’s favorite bedtime story. Andy cleared his throat.

‘‘Yeah, you’re right. But maybe next time mom should read you the last chapter.’’

Jack smiled a bit. Andy closed the book and ran his hand through Jack’s hair. ‘‘Goodnight, buddy.’’

He was about to turn the lamp off when his son spoke under the sheets. ‘‘The truth is, I didn’t want mom to come in here tonight’’.

Andy frowned. ‘‘Why?’’

Jack pointed at the other side of the room, where the easel he used for his paintings stood. It was covered with a stained towel he had probably got from the bathroom.

‘‘Oh, I get it’’ Andy said with an understanding tone. ‘‘But you don’t have to worry. It’s totally fine if you got the towel dirty, I do it all the time.’’

Jack sighed and got out of the bed. He uncovered the easel and his father gasped in awe. The painting was mostly grey in its lower part, where faceless people walked during the rush hour. Equally dark buildings gathered around them, and a dusty, polluted air blurred each shape. The drawing’s upper part was completely different. Red, orange and yellow shades mixed as if the sun was setting above the city. Except there was no sun. Instead, April’s figure rose above all, vertically soaring into the sky with her arms outstretched.

‘‘What the…’’ Andy could not get his jaw back to its natural position.

‘‘What? You don’t like it?’’ Jack seemed worried.

‘‘Shh…’’ Andy got up off the bed and approached the painting, his eyes unable to blink. ‘‘Son, this is awesome. More than awesome. Is there a word that means _more-than-awesome_? Because that should be the title.’’

‘‘It’s called _Better Than The Stupid People_.’’ Jack continued, now more confident. ‘‘But maybe I should add blood raining or something…’’

‘‘That’s your call…’’ Andy grimaced. ‘‘But I’m sure she’ll love it either way. My God, this is fantastic!’’ his laugh showed how proud he was.

‘‘You can’t tell her about this. It’s her birthday present.’’ Jack was serious; making that intimidating expression he had inherited from his mother.

‘‘I won’t. Promise’’ Andy opened his eyes widely, looking even more innocent that he already was.

‘‘If you do, I can have your dessert for a month.’’

‘‘Okay. But if I don’t, you can have my dessert for just one week.’’

‘‘Deal.’’ Jack shook his father’s hand, knowing he would not say a word.


	10. Distance Sucks

Andy paced back and forth around the TV room. His heart raced as he squeezed his cell phone in one hand. It might as well shatter for all the service it had provided. He had already called Leslie, but got the voice mail before he could even hear the dial tone. Little did he know she had jumped into a pool with her cell inside her blazer’s pocket. The same had happened when he tried to contact Ben. And, of course, he had called her several times. But she was just unreachable.

It had been a great day, pretending to be Princess Rainbow Sparkle and helping Ron get a date. The makeup had already worn off, but he still had a piece of gum stuck in the back of his head. Andy had not bothered to remove it, since he wanted to show it to April on their daily Skype call. Andy checked the laptop’s screen again, but April still was not online. And he had been waiting for hours.

Finally, Andy’s phone started buzzing in his clenched hand. He exhaled with relief when he read his wife’s name on the screen.

‘‘April! Where are you?’’, Andy asked anxiously.

‘‘Andy, I’m fine, okay? Relax.’’

‘‘Oh, my God, I was so worried, babe. Neither of you would pick up the phone! I almost called the police, but then I realized police’s number is different in Washington and I only know Pawnee’s 911, and it would…’’

‘‘Shh, honey. It’s okay. Listen, Ben and I were going on this road trip to visit you and Leslie, but we got stuck in the car because the stupid exit of the parking lot was closed. I stole Ben’s phone so I left mine at the apartment. Then he got it back and used it to torture me reading his lame fan fiction out loud, until the battery died. I’m sorry, babe.’’

Andy sighed and sat on the couch; the adrenaline rush was now taking its toll.

‘‘Okay… Sure you’re alright?’’

‘‘Besides the fact that this town is hotter than the devil’s farts and that I might dream of some dude called Captain Picard, yes, I’m fine.’’

Andy frowned. ‘‘Who’s Captain Picard? The campaign guy? I bet he’s a douchebag.’’

‘‘He’s one of Ben’s fic characters’’ One could tell by April’s voice that Andy’s naive jealousy had made her smile. ‘‘But yeah, the campaign guy must be a dummy too, for what I’ve heard’’.

Andy laughed. ‘‘God, I miss you so much.’’

‘‘I miss you too.’’ She had said that before, but this time there was something different in her tone. Andy could tell the sadder hint of her voice, so sad he instantly felt the urge to buy a plane ticket right away and never leave Washington until April were done with whatever she was doing there. But that was not an option, not yet, anyway. He had to find another way to cheer her up.

‘‘Hey, you are not going to believe what I did today. It was so fun!’’

‘‘I’m all ears’’, her voice warmed up at her husband’s enthusiasm. Andy had never lost a bout against her sadness.


	11. The List

Half asleep, Andy turned over in bed. He stretched an arm out, but there was no one there to hug. He opened his eyes, only to find that April was not sleeping beside him. The sound of the microwave came from the other side of the door. Andy figured having some pre-breakfast at 4 a.m. was certainly not a bad idea. He got out of the bed and tripped several times on his way to the kitchen, since the moonlight was the only source of illumination, and he still had not got used to the new furniture display of the creepy house they now lived in.

April was staring through the kitchen’s window, holding a mug of tea with both hands. Considering Andy’s walk had been all but quiet, she had to be aware of his presence by then. Yet, she did not turn around to face him. Andy got to where she stood, wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed the side of April’s head.

‘‘I know what’s on your mind’’, Andy said, comprehensively.

‘‘You do?’’

‘‘Yeah. You barely touched your food last night. So now you’re hungry, but you didn’t want to wake me up. Don’t worry, babe. Your man is here, and he’s gonna make you the best comfort food there is.’’ Andy hugged his wife a little tighter before letting go of her. Then, he opened one cabinet, frowned, and closed it again. He opened a couple more, but none of them seemed to contain whatever he was searching for.

‘‘Damn it! Where is the freaking refrigerator?’’

April sighed, turning around at last. ‘‘It’s right there’’, she pointed at the corner of the kitchen. ‘‘But seriously, don’t bother. I’m not hungry.’’

Andy closed the refrigerator door before even taking anything from it, his face now showing some understanding. They looked each other in the eye. April would have avoided such thing with anyone else but, for some reason, it was different with him. Something about his simple view of the world cut through all the nonsense and pierced right to the truth of things. She did have to look away when her eyes grew misty, though.

‘‘Hey…’’ In the blink of an eye, Andy was hugging her again. She buried her face against his chest, feeling her muscles relax. ‘‘What’s wrong, honey?’’

Andy lifted her so she could sit on the countertop, their faces now at the same level.

‘‘It’s just…’’ She began, playing with Andy’s fingers. ‘‘I was at this Joan Callamezzo event yesterday, and she gave a stupid speech…’’

‘‘I thought you liked her.’’ Andy interrupted.

‘‘Yes, I wish she was my real mother, but the speech was stupid, because it made me think and now I can’t stop.’’ April’s words rushed as she spoke.

‘‘What’d she say?’’

‘‘Something about her super happy life, and about having a true passion for what you do, which I clearly don’t have. And I realized I never actually loved my job. God, I didn’t even apply for that internship, it was assigned to me because my lame sister didn’t wake me up for the sign-up. And now I don’t know what to do.’’

Andy remained in silence, taking his time to process that new information.

‘‘You know what?’’, he said eventually. ‘‘I’m so glad your sister forgot to wake you.’’

Andy smiled, and April couldn’t help but doing the same. She lifted her head and their eyes met again. ‘‘Yeah, me too.’’

Andy grabbed one of April’s hands and kissed it. ‘‘You can always quit and find a weird job. Oh! Like in a mortuary!’’

‘‘I’ve already tried that. Turns out it’s just paperwork.’’

‘‘Bummer.’’ He sighed. ‘‘Well, we’ll figure something out, I promise.’’

She leaned in and they shared a soft kiss, interrupted by April’s tummy rumbling.

‘‘I think I could use that comfort food, after all’’, she admitted.

‘‘Cool! Grilled cheese sandwiches it is!’’

As Andy approached the refrigerator again, he noticed something he had missed before. Attached with a magnet, there was a list of the groceries they were supposed to buy the next day. It was an adult habit that, despite annoying, had helped him run errands properly. Andy froze there, as one of those rare epiphanies came to his mind.

‘‘Andy?’’

‘‘You should make a list. I mean, of the things that you want from a job. Maybe it will make it easier to find the right one.’’

‘‘Yeah…’’ There was a hint of surprise in her tone. ‘‘I will.’’

Andy got to work on his sandwiches. This time, it was April who hugged him from behind as the smell of grilled cheese filled the room.


	12. From Hell to Heaven

April wondered once more how the hell she had ended up there. Jack’s teacher had summoned all parents for that term’s final meeting. Next thing she knew, she was at a suburban house living room, sitting on a fancy couch and surrounded by six soccer moms that would not stop gabbling. Pastries and posh mugs filled with some undrinkable beverage scattered across a small table, around which those women and herself gathered. She had to get out of that hell.

* * *

 

Andy got lost several times around the neighborhood April had called from. Even so, he managed to be there on time, since speed limits were not something he ever worried about. Andy pulled in as soon as he saw his wife sitting on the front porch stairs of that strange house, both arms wrapped around her knees. She seemed… vulnerable. Not in the sense that someone could hurt her, but as if she had already been harmed. Andy’s heart stopped for a moment.

April managed to get up and walked towards the car. Once inside, she tilted her head back, closed her eyes and sighed deeply. Andy knew that was not a good sign.

‘‘You okay, babe?’’

She opened her eyes and looked at the man that had rescued her… again. She tried to smile, but all she wanted to do was cry. As a result, April grimaced in a way that would have made Andy laugh under any other circumstances. He grabbed one of her hands and squeezed it a bit.

‘‘Where are the kids?’’ she asked.

‘‘Oh, they’re at Mork’s birthday party. I just played my show there, but Jack and Nat are staying a little longer. I mean, if that’s okay with you.’’

‘‘Yeah, that’s fine. Can we go home?’’

April closed her eyes again and rested her head against the car window. She was drained; all her muscles ached and seemed to weigh twice as much as they normally did. That was what social interaction did to her, especially when it came to stupid people. April just could not stand it; they sucked all the energy she could possibly have with their stupid questions and their nonsense chatter. And the small talk. Small talk was the worst.

* * *

 

‘‘Honey?’’ April heard some time afterwards. Slowly, she came out of her slumber.

They were not home. Andy had parked in what seemed the middle of nowhere. April looked around just to find a forest behind them, and a wide, open space up front. The car stood in the plain land between the tree line and the valley ahead of them.

‘‘Andy, where are we? Did you get lost again?’’ Great. That was the last thing she needed at that point.

‘‘No,’’ was all he answered. Andy smiled understandingly, gave her cheek a quick caress and got out of the car. He then opened the door for her and held out a hand. She took it and got out as well, her legs still weak from the anxiety strike.

Andy knew any questions about what had happened will have to wait until she felt better. He just hugged her as tight as he could without hurting her frail body. April wrapped her arms around Andy’s waist, resting her head on his chest. The lump in her throat disappeared, and she felt the muscle soreness fading away. Her lungs opened at last, allowing her to take a deep breath.

‘‘Thanks,’’ she said when they broke apart.

‘‘I know you’re not a big fan of, you know, the outside. But at least there’s no one in like, six miles around. Besides, there’s that.’’ He pointed at the valley. The sun was going down behind the hills beyond, a fireball falling from space.

Still holding her hand, Andy led her to a big rock nearby. He sat on it, his legs spread to the sides so she could sit in between. Doing so, April rested her back on his torso, the upper part of her head right under Andy’s chin.

‘‘Seriously, I have no idea how I got there.’’ After a few minutes playing with Andy’s fingers on hers and staring at the sunset, she was willing to talk about it.

‘‘Was it one of Leslie’s things where she… You know, prepares some food and talks about politics with like 200 people?’’ Andy asked.

‘‘No. I always find an excuse for those. Usually, that I’d rather drink urine from a snake skin.’’

‘‘Ew, gross!’’ Andy laughed.

‘‘Those were just moms. You know, from the school meeting.’’

‘‘Shit, that’s way worse.’’

‘‘It was! Thanks for picking me up.’’

‘‘Anytime, babe.’’

April turned a bit on his lap so they could kiss. She rested one hand on his cheek, something she knew Andy loved. Soon, there was no trace of anxiety in her body. April’s brain was quiet, as she slipped in her own state of bliss.


	13. Meeting the Fam

There was something about old people that made April reconcile with her softer side. Some seniors were still jerks, but others had been around enough time to know how to live. In other words, they were not as stupid. Andy’s grandmother was one of them.

Old Pat would regularly call to check if her favorite grandson was doing alright, and he would often visit her at the nursing home. So, of course, she was the first one of Andy’s relatives to know about his new girlfriend. And, so far, she was the only one.

‘‘Here, take them quickly’’, Pat said, putting aside the blanket that covered her legs. Bagels, cupcakes and all kinds of pastries hid underneath. They were from the residence’s buffet, which was excellent, by the way. The woman would discreetly steal the best comestibles of the place whenever she knew Andy was visiting her. For the third time, April had come with him. The truth was April loved her.

‘‘Wow! Chocolate fudge brownie?! Thank you so much, grandma, you are the best!’’ Andy rushed to put the food into the backpack he had brought for that purpose, not before taking a bite of the craved brownie. They were sitting at the front porch, so not many caretakers were around, anyway.

‘‘Yeah, you’re awesome’’, April agreed. ‘‘I mean, doing this every time one of your grandsons visits you and never getting caught… You are a hero.’’

‘‘Oh, I only do this for Andy. But don’t tell the others.’’ Pat winked, and for a moment she seemed several years younger. ‘‘Speaking of whom… have you met them yet, sweetie?’’

April looked away. Being the center of attention, surrounded by a bunch of giant guys, pushing each other and making constant men jokes? No, thanks. No.

‘‘Yeah, I totally did.’’

Andy frowned, confused. ‘‘You didn’t, babe.’’

April elbowed her boyfriend, but the damage was done. Grandma could not be fooled.

‘‘They goof around a lot, but they are nice boys’’, Pat said as she raised one hand to shield her eyes from the sunset beams. Andy rummaged in his pocket and took out Burt Macklin’s sunglasses. His grandma put them on with no hesitation. ‘‘I’m sure they’ll love you, April.’’

April groaned, and the old woman took her hand and gave it a little squeeze. April’s first reaction would have been to immediately move hers away, but not with grandma. Not with the woman that looked at her that way, as if she was the best thing that had ever happened to her beloved grandson. Even though Pat had met Ann back when… things were different. Not with the woman that risked her staying at Pawnee’s best –and only- nursing home just so she could treat them to some snacks.

‘‘Okaaaay’’, she lengthened the word in a failed attempt to delay such commitment as much as possible.

‘‘Tell you what, honey’’, Andy said. ‘‘I’ll ask them to drop by City Hall, so I can show them the awesome job I got… Or prove it to them, since they still don’t believe I work as a public servant.’’

‘‘You don’t…’’ April began.

‘‘Point is, I’ll ask them to come one by one, so you don’t have to meet all the Dwyers at once. Deal?’’

April mulled over Andy’s idea for a few seconds. Pat clapped her hands twice, unable to hide her excitement.

‘‘Deal. But I have one condition.’’

* * *

 

Albert was the first one to have a shoe shine at Andy’s stand. He was slightly taller than Andy, and looked like a lumberjack. April was sitting on the other chair, the one without the shoe polish stain.

‘‘So, you’re a seer, huh?’’, Albert asked in a skeptical tone.

‘‘I am indeed.’’ April’s eyes would not blink, making Albert to avert his.

‘‘Word, brother!’’, Andy helped out. ‘‘I’ve seen it. Like that time you told me salad would be disgusting, and it was!’’

‘‘Sure…’’ The big man was not yet convinced.

‘‘Okay. See that 84-year-old man?’’ April pointed at Jerry, who was walking towards them from the end of the hallway, carrying two meal boxes. ‘‘I say he doesn’t make it to the Parks’ office without dropping everything.’’

Just as April finished her sentence, Jerry’s cell phone buzzed in his pocket. The ringtone featured his daughters singing some song about making calls. But the task of holding both boxes in one hand so he could pick up the phone with the other seemed virtually impossible for Jerry. In less than five seconds, April’s prediction came true.

‘‘Geez!’’ Jerry exclaimed as the hot soup drenched his pants and the peanut butter sandwiches of the second box scattered across the floor.

‘‘See?’’ April grabbed her own phone from her purse and took a picture, framing both impressed brothers and Jerry cleaning the mess in the background. ‘‘Say: April’s the best seer!’’

* * *

 

April met the rest of Andy’s siblings one at a time, which gave her the opportunity to play five more different roles. With Alan, she faked an accurate British accent the whole time. Anthony freaked out when she proved to know way too much information about him, claiming she was a network hacker – she had actually got most info from some government files that were probably classified, but who cares. With the help of a tiny mirror, Andy helped her make Aaron believe she could see through the back of her head. The next day, April pretended to be in witness protection with Alex. Lastly, she communicated with Adam only through rhymes. It was way easier that way. Furthermore, it was fun.

But, as amusing as it was, she was hoping to have some alone time with Andy the seventh day. She got him some coffee and food supplies in order to soothe his shoe shine head, but she almost dropped them all –Jerry’s style- when she turned the hallway’s corner and saw Andy´s mother at the stand. April recognized her from the family photos Andy had down at Burly’s house.

‘‘Ludgate!’’ Andy called her before she could even turn around.

April approached the stand, a shy half-smile on her face.

‘‘Babe, this is my mom. Mom, this is babe. I mean, April.’’ One could tell Andy was kind of nervous.

‘‘Hello, darling. I’m Edith.’’ The woman stepped closer to April, as if she intended to hug her, but then she seemed to have remembered something and held out a hand instead. April shook it, somewhat awkwardly.

‘‘Hi. It’s… nice to meet you.’’

‘‘I see your accent is gone.’’ The A’s squad had told her about April, of course. It had not the cadence of an accusation, though. Edith’s words were warm and friendly, much like the ones of her youngest son.

‘‘Yeah… I guess the States are growing on me.’’ April went along with it, still not sure if she could allow herself to keep faking it at that point.

Edith laughed. ‘‘Look, honey. I don’t care if you are some kind of hacker, a British wizard or an undercover spy.’’

‘‘You are?!’’ Andy asked excitedly.

‘‘No!’’ Although April’s answer would have been way different if it had been just the two of them.

‘‘I couldn’t care less about any of that.’’ Edith continued. ‘‘You make Andy happy. The happiest I’ve ever seen him.’’ She gazed at the Paunch Burger bag April was holding. ‘‘And that’s all that matters. Welcome to the family, sweetheart.’’

Edith smiled at the young girl for a moment. April was still trying to come up with something to say when the alarm of the woman’s watch went off.

‘‘Gotta go, yoga time’’, she excused herself. Then, she gave April an affectionate pinch on the cheek and turned to hug his son. Andy shrugged as he gave his girlfriend a smile. ‘‘Take care’’, his mom said before walking away.

April sighed, giving Andy the paper bag.

‘‘Wow! Double Bacon Grenade Deluxe? Thank you!’’ his grin showed that Edith’s comment about Andy’s happiness was nothing but spot on.

‘‘So, those were all?’’ April sat at her reserved spot.

‘‘Aha. You made it, babe!’’ Andy raised a hand, and they high-fived. ‘‘By the way, you gotta show me how to hack Twitter accounts. I bet Kyle has tons of embarrassing tweets we can make fun of.’’


	14. Sick, Mad and Terrified

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What could have happened right after Flu Season's ending.

The stereotype of bad food at hospitals was turned on its head by Pawnee Saint Joseph Hospital’s cafeteria. At least that was what Andy thought when he approached the counter, drooling as he tried to decide between all the pastries, sweets and greasy food in front of him.

‘‘So, what’s gonna be?’’ asked the young, exhausted employee.

‘‘I don’t know, man… Okay, I’ll just have a Fever Pizza. Oh, no! A Cream Sneeze Boogel!’’

‘‘Anything else?’’ The boy put the bagel into a paper bag and handed it to Andy.

‘‘No, thanks.’’

‘‘Two dollars, please.’’

Andy rummaged in his wallet. He had to have at least two bucks… right? Andy sighed of relief when he found a pair of one-dollar bills. Only a nickel was left inside when he took them out. Then he saw it. A row of cookie dough muffins, just like the ones April was always eating at City Hall. Except here they were called Muffeeling Sick’s. Anyway, sure April could use one of those as a late breakfast.

‘‘Wait, no. I’ll take one of these, too.’’

The cashier glared at him, impatient. ‘‘Then it’s four dollars.’’

Andy’s brain got to work. That meant they were two bucks each. Wait, were they? Yes. He would have to pick just one, probably. Definitely. His stomach rumbled in response. My God, he was so hungry. And those bagels were making his mouth water.

But then she crossed his mind. Truth be told, she seemed to be always in his head lately, so ‘‘cross’’ was not actually the proper term. No more than twenty minutes had gone by since he had left her in the hospital room, weak and sleeping soundly. But he missed her already.

‘‘Order or leave!’’ an old woman shouted from behind.

And order he did.

* * *

 

Andy was good at many things, but remembering floor numbers was not one of them. It took him a while to find April’s room, and by the time he finally did so, he wished he had kept wandering around the wrong floor instead.

Andy froze when he saw her through the glass, now awake. She was not alone. Eduardo was sitting at the same chair Andy had been waiting for her to wake up before heading to the cafeteria. The lump in Andy’s throat made it impossible to breathe when that perfect guy stood up and grabbed April’s hand. Andy’s jealousy was not built around anger or grudge. It was a defeated kind of jealousy – he desperately wanted to be there instead, holding her hand and providing everything April needed till she recovered from that stupid flu. But, somehow, he had screwed everything up. And now it was obvious she did not want him by her side.

Even though Andy was watching the scene from a safe distance, he stepped back when he saw April’s parents coming from one side of the aisle. They were both carrying bags full of what Andy thought were clothes and woman stuff. Once in the room, they greeted her daughter with way too much enthusiasm, considering people talking loudly was probably the last thing sick April wanted to hear.

Even though Andy could not quite hear the words, he was able to tell April did not want to be there. Or them to be with her. Andy’s theory was confirmed when the girl got out of the bed and left the room.

‘‘… bathroom.’’ She said before closing the glass door behind her.

Then, April started walking… right towards Andy. At first she did not see him, since her eyes were focused on the linoleum. But, as soon as April lifted her head, she petrified.

‘‘What are you doing here?’’ she asked, bitter.

Her expression made Andy wish he had hidden somewhere before she even noticed he was there. Not because of what he had just seen -the family she had and he was not part of-, but because even though she had seemed uncomfortable with them, it was still better than what she looked like now. Because now, she seemed unhappy. Andy found that even more unbearable.

‘‘I… Someone told me you were sick, and I… I brought you this.’’ Andy handed her the paper bag he had been holding the whole time. ‘‘It’s one of those muffins you like.’’

‘‘Oh, really?’’ she asked, sarcastically. April smiled a bit, but the joy did not reach her eyes. Then, she grabbed the bag and walked past Andy. He turned around just to see her throwing the muffin in the nearest trash can. Something broke inside Andy as a response.

The restrooms were pretty close from where they were standing, though. April went inside them, while Andy remained there, not knowing what to do. After a couple of minutes, he figured leaving was probably the right call. But then, he realized something. No water sound had come from the other side of the door. He had not even heard the toilet flushing. April was just avoiding everyone. Including him.

* * *

 

Despite all, that was the moment Andy promised himself he would not give up on her. Because not only was she upset - she was afraid too. And he needed to prove her wrong.


	15. Another Bad Day Cure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Missing moment from the day before April became deputy director of Animal Control.

That work day was coming to an end, finally. The sky had turned black outside City Hall, and there were no more interviews left to do. At least for that day. April could head home in less than thirty minutes from then. But that could be longer if Andy did not show up at the Parks Department on time, since they always would carpool despite having two cars.

The poker cards slid across her screen after she won at solitaire for the ninth time. She focused on the dumb deck in order to keep herself from glancing towards Andy’s empty desk. April sighed out of both desperation and boredom. But also, because she was drained after a whole day of interaction with dumb strangers. Already sick of the stupid card game, she looked at Jerry. He was filing some folders as if paperwork made him the happiest man alive. April wished she had a Jerry voodoo doll that made the waiting more bearable.

After what seemed like an eternity, Andy eventually appeared at the bullpen’s door. But there was something off on his face. He went straight to his desk, without even looking at her. Andy collapsed into the chair, dispirited. April stared at him, wordlessly demanding an explanation. But he kept avoiding eye contact.

They needed to talk, now. But then she remembered Jerry was there. Stupid Jerry, never minding his own business. Also, Donna was already done with the podcast she had been listening to, since she had removed both ear buds. But there were other ways to talk privately at the office.

 _‘‘You ok?’’_ A message popped up on Andy’s computer screen.

He slothfully leaned forward and got his hands on the keyboard. _‘‘Yeah. Everything’s cool.’’_

_‘‘Dude, seriously. What’s up? Tell me or I will give Jerry all the Skittles I took from your drawer.’’_

_‘‘Fine. I screwed up, again.’’_

_‘‘…’’_

_‘‘I went to this meeting with Ben, Tom, and that cologne guy… Man, what’s his name?’’_

_‘‘Dennis Feinstein? Yeah, he’s a dick.’’_

_‘‘That’s what I told him.’’_

‘‘What? In his face?’’

_‘‘Yeah.’’_

_‘‘That’s awesome, babe!’’_

_‘‘He didn’t like it, though. We got kicked out of the place. And Ben couldn’t buy all those colognes he needed. Now he’ll never smell good, and it’s all my fault.’’_

_‘‘First of all, those colognes stink, so you made him a favor, if that’s even what he needed from the deal, which I doubt. Secondly, the guy deserved it. Someone had to tell him he’s an asshole, and I’m glad you were that someone. I’m so proud.’’_ April looked at him from her desk. Andy’s smile came back, and even from the distance she could tell he had blushed a little.

 _‘‘Plus, I’m sure Tom will make it up. He convinces jerks for a living’_ ’, she added.

 _‘‘Thanks, babe.’’_ And then he lifted one hand and left it there, as if April were able to high five him from where she was. She rolled her eyes, but Andy would not put his hand down. April gave in and raised hers for the weird uptop.

 _‘‘Anyway, how was your day?’’_ he then typed.

April grimaced. She had almost forgotten about all those lame candidates.

_‘‘Awful. We’ve been interviewing people for the Animal Control thing. They even rejected Orin, and he was the only decent applicant.’’_

_‘‘I’m sure you’d manage that department better than all of them, though.’’_

_‘‘Ew!’’_ was all she answered. But the idea did not bother her as much as it should have.

 _‘‘C’mon, let’s get out of here.’’_ Andy went offline and gave her a playful look.

April checked the computer’s clock only to see it was ten minutes past their working hours. Jerry was definitely not aware of that, still immersed in his work. As for Donna, she would have to wait for her nail polish to dry before meeting Michael – aka her Mercedes. But they were free to go.

April got up, and so did Andy. But she did not walk towards him. Instead, April entered Leslie’s office and grabbed one of the many binders that flooded her desk.

‘‘What are you doing? What are those?’’ Andy asked from the doorjamb.

‘‘Résumés.’’ She answered. ‘‘You need to see how ridiculous they are.’’

‘‘Cool! But we’re still making out afterwards, right?’’

‘‘Right.’’ She half-smiled, took his hand, and they both headed home. At last.


	16. And You Will Too

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Washington D.C., 2025. I have this headcanon where Andy becomes a music teacher when they both move to D.C., so there you go.

All was quiet. The last sunbeams of the day went through the bedroom’s sliding glass door. Jack babbled from the crib, placed right next to his parents’ bed. The TV was on, but muted so the toddler could soon fall asleep. With his head reclined against the cushions, Andy stared at the screen without really paying attention to it. His mind seemed to be somewhere else; his skin as sweaty as always, but paler than usual. Noticing so, April put aside the book she was reading and nestled against him, resting her head on Andy’s chest. April could now hear his heart… which pounded frantically.

‘‘Dude, are you okay?’’, she asked.

‘‘Yeah, I’m just… kinda nervous about tomorrow.’’

April frowned. Andy had received that phone call from DC’s Elementary School almost a week ago, and he had been all but nervous ever since. Andy could not have felt more eager about the new job – not only would he teach guitar as he had been doing since they moved to Washington, but he would also get the chance to make the most of his recently gained skills regarding many other instruments. From the next day on, Andy could officially call himself a school teacher, which was pretty awesome. But all that excitement seemed to have turned into worry all of a sudden.

‘‘Why? You’ve taught kids before. And you’re great with them.’’ April’s voice was soft, understanding. After all, she was an anxiety expert.

‘‘Yeah, but the after school program was different. I was kind of my own boss, and we could just… have fun. It was like having my own band, but small sized. Like a litter of mouse rats.’’

April could not roll over any more without squashing her bulging stomach, so she sat up a bit instead in order to look at him.

‘‘Then keep doing that, babe. Don’t be the same old boring teacher those kids have always had, because I swear to God, I will divorce you if you are. Plus, it’s not like the principal’s gonna be there watching you during the class, you know? Just be yourself.’’

They looked at each other for a moment, a confident smile growing on Andy’s face.

‘‘Try not to break anything, though’’, April added as she leaned her head on his chest again. Andy’s heart beat now at a normal pace.

‘‘Seems unlikely. But don’t worry, sweetheart. They don’t fire teachers for breaking stuff, it’s a… motivational method. All cool teachers do that in movies.’’

Jack laughed out loud, despite probably not understanding a word. The two-year-old had somehow got up, and was standing on his two feet. He grabbed the crib’s bar, as if wanting to get out and join their conversation.

‘‘Can’t sleep, buddy?’’ Andy picked his son up and carried him to their bed. Jack’s right hand was stuck to Andy’s beard, since he had the weird habit of touching it whenever he had the chance. With his other little hand, Jack pointed to April’s rounded belly.

‘‘Wanna say hi to your sister?’’ April reached her arms out to hold him closer.

‘‘She’s probably asleep by now, so she might not answer.’’ Andy warned his son.

Jack stretched out both hands and stroked the skin of April’s abdomen. If someone had told her she would live moments like this one ten years ago, she would not have believed them. Seeing those two lives, two beings they had _created_ , coming into contact was beyond magical. But she would not admit such thing in front of others, and for sure she would not cry then. Stupid hormones.

Then, something moved inside April’s body. Jack removed his tiny hands, pointing again to where they had just been and gasping in awe. His mouth shaped like an O, in the exact same way Andy did so when surprised.

‘‘Oh, man, did I miss a kick?’’ Andy moaned.

‘‘Yes, you did. Gosh, it’s like she’s doing karate in there or something.’’

‘‘That’s impossible, hon. I haven’t taught her anything yet.’’

* * *

 

Jack could have spent the rest of the night touching his mother’s bump, expecting for the next kick to come. But his yawns betrayed him and soon he fell asleep, lying face down on Andy’s torso.

‘‘See?’’ April said as she ran her hand through Jack’s hair.

‘‘What?’’

‘‘Nothing. You’ll do great tomorrow.’’


	17. Restored

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by the song Black Tables, by Other Lives.

The Teach Yo’ Self program had been a total success. Andy knew it first hand, since he worked there as a music teacher. Kids loved strumming those guitars, and most of all, they loved Andy. He had a blast there every day, always coming up with new ways to make each class even funnier than the last one. Adding more instruments to the mix had been one of those ideas, and so, Andy had been gaining skills ever since.

That afternoon, Andy was practicing with his electronic keyboard. He had headphones on, so he did not hear the front door slamming when April came home. Only when she stepped into the living room did he lift his head to look at her. Andy’s face lit, as it always did when he saw her after having spent the day apart. But hers did not. So, it was one of those days, Andy realized. He wrinkled his lips and gave her an understanding look. April tossed her work bag to the floor and walked toward their bedroom. Andy knew his wife well enough not to follow her. Not yet, at least.

Instead, he tried to keep practicing. But after seeing April that upset, Andy was just unable to focus on the sheet music. He put the score away, and started playing random notes, distractedly. And then, there it was. That made up chord was saying something. He could work with that.

* * *

 

A whole hour had passed, and there were still no signs of April. Andy got to the bedroom’s closed door and waited there. He heard her body moving under the sheets. Despite knowing she was awake, Andy opened the door softly, trying to make as little noise as possible. Still carrying the keyboard, he lay down on the bed next to her. April was giving Andy her back, but did not complain when he leaned forward to kiss her shoulder.

Since she was lying sideways, Andy could only place the headphones on her uncovered ear.

‘‘What are you…?’’ she began, but the piano-like notes silenced her. It was a simple, hopeless sound, so in tune with her mindstate that left her speechless. April put the headphones on properly as she rolled over, only to find it was Andy who was playing that melody.

‘‘With your body and mind restored, it’s good to see you back home’’, Andy began to sing, his gaze fixed on the keyboard so he would not miss any note. That was a good thing, because April’s eyes were getting damp.

The piece went on; the lyrics were simple, but spot on. Andy changed the synth’s settings to end the song with slightly different sounds, which dragged slowly with the rhythm of a tired heart. After pressing the last key, he took his time before looking at her. April had not asked for a song, to begin with. Was that what she needed? Had he made things worse?

‘‘You wrote this?’’ Her voice broke at the end of the question.

‘‘No. I didn’t have any paper on hand, so I had to memorize the whole thing.’’

She gave him a confused look.

‘‘Oh, you mean… Yeah, I kinda came up with this.’’ He looked away, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. ‘‘It wasn’t my best work, to be honest. Music is supposed to be happy and fun but I just… I figured that’s not what you needed.’’

April sat up and took the headphones off. With her hand on his cheek, she turned Andy’s head back to her. If Andy had still some doubts about her thoughts on what he had just done, the way April kissed him made it pretty clear he should have none. He responded to her thirst, and she only stopped briefly to state the obvious.

‘‘Thank you.’’


	18. Hope of the Hopeless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place during the Summer Catalog episode, as April and Andy enjoy their own picnic.

There were so many things about that day that were pissing April off. First of all, the heat was so annoying. The sky was so clear; there was not a single cloud up there and the bright sun was making her squint like an idiot. Secondly, that semi-fresh air polluted by the Sweetums factory was too sweet and she was going to be sick at any minute. The bugs were not helping either. And those creepy old guys with their misogynist comments were the last straw.

Given so, April had to remind herself why she was there to begin with. It was not because of her job as Ron’s assistant. He, for one, thought that the interview was pointless, and would have never forced her to go. She had not even shown any interest when Leslie mentioned something about a picnic with the former Parks directors. Who cared, anyway? Unless there were some heavy stuff to carry, of course. Then they could use some help. Andy’s help. Leslie misunderstood her suggestion, thinking that April really cared about that summer catalog. But her mind was somewhere else.

Now, sitting on that blanket, sharing those snacks with Andy, the stupid trip was finally paying off.

‘‘So, if you had to sleep with one of the old guys, who would it be?’’ Andy asked before grabbing one strawberry from the plate between them.

‘‘The super old one’’, she answered naturally. Because, even though not one in a thousand guys would have asked her something like that, it was the kind of question she could deal with easily. Nothing too personal, nothing too boring. Just something she could use her best deadpan with, that is, in a non-defensive way.

‘‘Really?’’

‘‘Mm-hmm. I’m an eyebrow girl. I want to make out with him and chew his eyebrows off.’’ April was clearly messing with Andy. But, even though he had proven to be incredibly perceptive with some things, he was not as good when it came to sarcasm. It was quite sad trying to make Andy jealous with those dodderers, but it was all she had at that moment.

‘‘Ew!’’ he laughed. ‘‘That is… really gross.’’

April did not bother to fight a smile, despite her jaw aching due to the lack of practice regarding that gesture. That was nice… and worrying. They had been practically on their own since they had left City Hall. During that one-on-one time, she had found herself getting loose, being more her true self, and she was still unsure that was something she could afford.

‘‘I’d pick the hippy one’’, Andy said, interrupting her thoughts.

‘‘Why?’’

‘‘So I can steal his pot when he’s not looking.’’ Andy smirked.

Damn it. He made it pretty hard not to like him more than she already did.

‘‘Why do you think they’re yelling at each other?’’ April tried to distract herself with more conversation.

‘‘Maybe Ron ate all the food and they’re fighting over the last bite of cheese.’’

‘‘But didn’t you eat all the cheese from the cheddar can?’’

‘‘Shoot! Yes… I did.’’ Andy shrugged.

‘‘They better not find out.’’ She said in a sinister tone. ‘‘Those jerks could make you barf all that cheese to get it back.’’

‘‘Yeah…’’ Andy said to himself, now anxious. ‘‘They must be starving.’’

Normally, April would let the worry consume the people she freaked out just for fun. But Andy was different, again. There was something about his innocence that made him too pure to deserve any kind of suffering.

‘‘Don’t worry, though.’’ She reassured him. ‘‘They are so old, probably their doctors won’t let them eat any greasy food.’’

‘‘Does that include cheese?’’

‘‘Yes.’’

‘‘Thank God.’’

April rolled her eyes, but at least he seemed more relaxed now. And she did too. Could someone that naïve be a real threat? Was it that bad to allow herself to get rid of all boundaries for a while? Was not that day being the best one she had had in years, besides that one they had spent alone in the bullpen when everyone went hunting? Was not she really looking forward to that night, just because the two of them were meeting at Tucker’s?

Was she going to say no if something between them were to happen once there? No. No, she was not. She could try and see where it went.

‘‘Andy!’’ a raging Leslie called from the wooden table. ‘‘Let’s take this picture!’’

April watched as Andy got up to photograph the former directors. She could not wait to photoshop those.


	19. Sweet Revenge

April couldn’t help but smile when Andy stepped into the living room. Not only was he all dressed in his camo suit – the plan was to wear only black clothes, but Andy didn’t have any- ; he also had the Macklin sunglasses on. And it was 2 in the morning.

‘‘Okay, babe. I’m ready.’’ Andy said, adopting a combat position. ‘‘Oh my God, black looks amazing on you!’’

‘‘Black looks amazing on anyone.’’ was her simple answer.

‘‘Okay, so this is the first clue, isn’t it?’’ Andy grabbed Stacy Knoblauch’s prescription-strength deodorant. ‘‘We should follow the scent of a really gross armpit. Oh! We’ll get Champion to do that!’’

‘‘No, babe, I told you. I know where her house is. We just need to steal the garbage truck and drive it there.’’

‘‘Oh. Then… we need to find the truck, right?’’

‘‘Leslie and I left it right next to this bakery, not far from here.’’

‘‘But what about…?’’

‘‘The keys?’’ April smirked, taking a rusty key-chain out of her pocket.

‘‘Wow, babe. You think of everything.’’

* * *

The moonlight made stupid Stacy’s house look even fancier. At least, for now. Andy pulled in beside the front lawn and turned off the truck’s engine.

‘‘Shh.’’ He put one finger to April’s lips and left it there until he made sure there was no one around. ‘‘Now, let’s go!’’

They both jumped out of the heavy vehicle and got to one side of it. With one of the stolen keys, April opened the sideways door that led to the garbage compartment.

‘‘Pick the stinkiest one.’’ She whispered.

Carrying one trash bag each, they walked to the house’s front door.

‘‘This is so gross!’’ Andy laughed as they emptied the bags’ content all over the porch.

‘‘Quiet, dude!’’ April scolded him, but she was also trying to muffle her own fit of laughter. ‘‘Okay, let’s leave!’’

They were still cracking up as they climbed up the cab.

‘‘C’mon, we have to take this thing back to where we found it.’’ April said, breathlessly.

Andy grabbed the truck’s keys, but froze suddenly like he always did when a crazy idea would cross his mind. Rarely did Andy get lost in his own thoughts, but when he did, he seemed to zone out until he had a clear idea of whatever he was mulling over. He frowned, staring at the steering wheel without really seeing anything.

‘‘Andy?’’ she squinted, trying to figure him out.

‘‘She was not the only one, was she?’’ He asked in a soft voice.

‘‘What?’’

‘‘That Stacy bitch, she was… I mean, when are we gonna have a garbage truck all to ourselves again? Just tell me which else houses you want to fill up with trash, and we’ll do so, honey.’’ Andy’s smile not only stemmed from the fun of it all. It also had a genuine warmth that made April want to think of anything else but what he had just understood about her past.

But, on the other hand, they deserved it. All of them. Plus, Andy was having so much fun… As was she. Pawnee was not that big of a town anyways, and April knew exactly where those bullies lived. She bit her lip as she checked there was still enough time until dawn.

‘‘Okay, let’s do it.’’

* * *

‘‘It’s weird.’’ Andy said as they snuggled later in bed.

‘‘What’s weird?’’ She asked.

‘‘I feel like… I don’t know. Like those pranks weren’t enough.’’ He then looked his wife directly in the eyes, carefully stroking her hair, as if April was something that could break easily.

‘‘You are right.’’ She kissed his lips softly. ‘‘Next time we’ll set their houses on fire.’’


	20. Worth It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think what April did at the end of 3x14 was harder than it seemed on the show. And that only makes her even more awesome.

Apparently, there is no other way to do this without all these people staring. But that is also kind of the point because, as Andy told her once, there is no band without an audience. ‘‘Except for rehearsals and stuff,’’ he had added. She can almost hear those words as if he were standing right next to her. As if he weren’t mad at her. April sighs, remembering why she’s doing all this.

The Mouse Rat members have just finished setting all the instruments. They plug in the speakers as more people gather in the courtyard. Sat on one of the benches, April knows she doesn’t have much time left, and she’s already a nervous wreck. Her heart races at a familiar but nonetheless alarming pace. Her right leg frantically bounces up and down, and she has no control over it whatsoever. But telling herself to calm down only makes things worse.

‘‘Hey, April!’’ April unfixes her gaze from the ground to look at Burly. ‘‘Is this the one you’re playing?’’ He asks, holding Andy’s guitar in one hand, a wire in the other.

Her voice won’t come out, so April just nods in response. Looking down again – mainly to avoid seeing the increasing amount of people around them – April notices the sweat in her hands. It would be enough to make some gross juice. Again, that makes her think of Andy. If he forgives her, she’ll definitely pitch him that idea. If.

But what if he doesn’t? Breathing is even harder now.

‘‘We’re all set!’’ Rivers calls from behind the drums.

April feels her own heartbeat all over her body after that last trigger. There is a flickering pulse in her temples that makes her picture the audience barfing after her brain explodes and the blood splashes all of them. April’s muscles tense up as she tries to get up. In fact, she is sure they are no longer made of flesh. Inside her, there is just iron. Or lead, more like. How is she supposed to walk over to join the band? How is she supposed to make a sound once there?

Burly hands her the stolen guitar, and April manages to put the strap over her shoulder despite her shaky hands. But, when approaching the mic, she freezes. There is too many people watching, many more than she had spotted with her peripheral vision, since April hadn’t allowed herself to look at them directly until now.

April just can’t do this. Fuck Ann and her stupid advice. Fuck Tom and his stupid game.

‘‘April?’’ Rivers asks, dubious. ‘‘Should we go get Andy before we start or…?’’

Andy.

April takes a deep breath, closing her eyes as her heavy insides melt into liquid metal.

‘‘No, he’ll come,’’ she says, turning around to look at him as she answers. But April does not feel like facing the crowd again… ‘‘Just make me a sign or something when Andy gets here, okay?’’

‘‘Okay, but…’’

‘‘Let’s get this over with. Now, start playing.’’

Then Burly scrapes the strings and that familiar chord fills the open space. Still giving her back to the audience, April sings as if they were the only people there. The lyrics are extremely simple, which also helps. Then Burly smiles at the closest door, and she knows Andy is right next to them.

April turns around only to see him marvel at what she’s doing. Fuck the audience. This is worth it. She reads Andy’s eyes, and it’s not like he’s forgiven her. It’s like there was nothing to forgive her for to begin with. Fuck that stupid fight.

And fuck Andy. But soon and literally.


	21. Because He Smart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Laking: to jump a car over a lake. Like breakfast food, laking can serve many purposes.

Rarely did Andy see himself as a smart guy. But occasionally, April would give him a surprised look, as if she wasn’t expecting one of his thoughtful comments. Then he did feel like there was actually some wisdom inside his large head. After all, that size could only mean there was a big brain in there.

Also, some of his ideas were pretty awesome at the very least. Like when he invented the skittle sandwich, spent Ben’s rental on a new Xbox so he couldn’t leave, or that time he came up with a better purpose for a Ring Pop. So, when another epiphany dawned on him that Saturday evening, Andy wasn’t sure if he should be surprised at all.

He had excused himself by telling April Leslie needed him to set things up for the prom. ‘‘You know, lifting heavy cars… I mean, stuff and… stuff’’, Andy had babbled. And then he had jumped out of the window because God, lying to her was the hardest part of the plan.

Now, driving April’s ramshackle car, he was going nowhere near Pawnee High School. No wonder she was always complaining about that second hand Saturn her parents gave her as a wedding present. April hated it, not because of its stale smell or the spider webs all over the cab. According to her, that was just cool. But the rusty thing would often break down, and it was noisy enough to catch the attention of all pedestrians around. All eyes on her, eyes she would often like to scoop out. She hated that four-wheeled trash more than anything, even more than Ann.

Ironically enough, Ann had been the one to give Andy the information he needed for what he had in mind. A couple of years ago, the nurse had explained to them some boring stuff about insurance and such. Andy got very little out of it, but he did recall something about companies paying for the insured things when broken. And he sure knew how to break stuff. He also knew of a very steep spot by the lake that would give him enough impulse to have fun while achieving the main goal.

* * *

‘‘This doesn’t look good.’’ April said later at home, as she cleaned the blood off of Andy’s forehead. ‘‘I mean, it does, but that’s probably not a good sign.’’

‘‘Don’t worry, babe. It doesn’t hurt at all. Plus, it could have been worse.’’ Andy shrugged.

‘‘Yes, it could have!’’ She berated him, hitting Andy’s arm. ‘‘You should have told me, and we should have gotten Kyle to do it instead. With us watching.’’ April half-smiled at the idea.

‘‘You are right, honey. Even Burt Macklin needs some stunts once in a while.’’

April focused on sticking the gauze to the now less bleeding wound, while Andy’s gaze got lost in all her features.

‘‘At least that stupid car is useless now. I was gonna set it on fire, but the insurance wouldn’t have bought it.’’

‘‘Do you think they will buy the laking, though?’’

‘‘Totally.’’ And then, right before kissing him, she gave Andy that look. As if he were actually smart. As if he were the smartest guy on the planet.


	22. Missing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Missing moment from The Fight (3x13). I don't quite see A/A in Donna's car, so this is what I figured could have happened.

‘‘Hey, Andy! You ready to go?’’ Ben asked, dragging each word.

Andy barely heard him, and not only because of the loud music. He was way too focused on inspecting all the half-empty glasses on the bar, searching for any red lip marks that would lead him to Miss Snakehole.

‘‘No, man. Burt Macklin has a mystery to solve. Also, Macklin lost his car keys, so…’’

‘‘Don’t worry, Donna’s dropping us off.’’

‘‘Who’s Donna?’’

‘‘I dunno. I’ll go ask Leslie.’’ Then, wasted Ben walked away towards a blonde woman Andy wasn’t sure was actually Leslie.

The secret agent went back to work. Everything looked blurry to him, but even so there didn’t seem to be any traces of the suspect. He turned around and saw the Parks crew leaving the nightclub, but Janet wasn’t with them. Andy took a sip of a cocktail that wasn’t even his and stood up from the stool… Only to get so dizzy he had to grip the bar for balance.

He then decided to go around the place, searching every corner of it Macklin style. Andy definitely was too drunk to roll over the floor, let alone to step up to a table in order to get a better view. That left just one strategy: extorting witnesses. Kind of.

The problem was, Snake Juice had become so popular everyone was too wasted to give him a decent answer. Andy himself couldn’t have understood a word even if they had had any memory at all of the past two hours. So he just kept walking –and stumbling- all over the club, though in vain.

‘‘Damn it, Snakehole. You’re good.’’ He said to himself. ‘‘Okay, you won!’’ Andy raised his voice so April could hear him from wherever she was hiding. ‘‘I surrender. Come back, babe!’’

But his words fell on deaf ears. The drunks minded their own business, and April wouldn’t come out. Andy’s stomach twisted, wondering if their little game had gone out of hand. He took his old cell phone from his pocket and tried to call her. But the letters on the screen were so fuzzy he ended up dialing the home number of his niece Rebecca.

‘‘Screw you, phone.’’ And just like that, Andy headed for the men’s restroom, determined to flush it down the toilet in revenge.

He completely forgot about the stupid cell once he stepped into the bathroom. A staff member was cleaning up a mess like no other. Besides the shattered glass she was sweeping, there were blood stains all over the floor. A section of Andy’s brain –the less drunk section- snapped out of its numbness. It told him something was off. It told him he should worry.

‘‘Oh my God, what happened here?’’ he asked.

‘‘Same old, same old.’’ The woman shrugged. ‘‘Two drunk guys had a big fight over a girl, broke stuff, broke each other’s noses and everyone around also got hurt.’’ She sighed as she kept sweeping. ‘‘At least I get to keep this.’’ The employee rummaged inside one of the cleaning cart’s compartments and took out a black hat. Andy recognized it even before he saw the fishnet fabric stuck to it.

The less drunk part of his brain took control of the whole organ this time, making him totter and clouding his sight. What if some of that blood was hers? What if…?

‘‘Sir, are you okay? If you need to vomit, please do it on the…’’

Too late. Andy worsened the mess with a great deal of barf that flooded the entire floor.

‘‘That’s it. I quit.’’ The girl said, throwing the mop away. ‘‘Thank God the only back exit of this cavern is right here.’’ And so she left the room, ignoring Andy’s hyperventilation. He was about to faint, but fainting was all he could deal with at this point. Then he heard _her_.

‘‘That hat is mine, bitch! Give it to me!’’ April’s voice sounded tired and weird from the outside, but it was definitely hers.

Andy went out and he found himself in a dark alley. April was lying on the floor; her beloved hat had been tossed nearby and she was trying to reach it, seemingly unable to get up.

‘‘April! Oh my God, here you are! I was so worried! I thought…’’ Andy helped her sit up a little and hugged her as tight as possible without breaking her spine.

‘‘Could you pass me my hat?’’ She said in a sleepy tone. Andy obeyed. ‘‘Why are you crying?’’

Andy hadn’t noticed that, but couldn’t care less. He rubbed his eyes only to see her better. He then checked her body out for wounds, but there weren’t any.

‘‘What were you doing here?’’ he asked.

‘‘I needed to throw up, so I rushed out here. Then I fell asleep, I guess.’’

‘‘Why didn’t you do it in the bathroom?’’

April yawned as she snuggled against him. ‘‘I didn’t need an audience.’’ Then she closed her eyes and succumbed to slumber.

‘‘Of course not.’’ Andy smiled, understandingly. ‘‘Let’s get you home, love.’’

Picking up his wife, Andy carried her in his arms through the night. That fight had obviously happened way after she had gone out of the place. She was perfectly fine. And he was the happiest man alive.


	23. Proud

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place on November 1st, 2023. Enjoy!

Soundly, April sleeps. She looks so tired wrapped in Andy’s arms, but still there is a peaceful expression on her face. The corners of her mouth lift up a bit, and Andy wonders what she might be dreaming of. April rolls to face him, her eyes still closed, and snuggles against his chest as she gets hold of Andy’s green hoodie. The light is getting dimmer in the hospital room. Not wanting to wake her up, Andy doesn’t even reach for the switch.

He seizes these last sunbeams of the day to look once again at that precious being they’ve created. Much like his mother, Jack naps in the bassinet, still unaware of the awesome family he is part of. Andy will make sure his son knows it every day, though.

And speaking of awesome, Andy’s train of thought comes back to his wife. He is so proud of her he can’t help but kissing her forehead, at the risk of disturbing her sleep.

Andy had never pressured her about having kids. April could have refused, she could have said no, and he wouldn’t have said a word. But still, she agreed. Furthermore, she wanted that too.

 _‘‘Maybe she’s not dreaming. Maybe she’s just smiling.’’_ Andy thinks, unable to glance away from her.

Then there was the whole pregnancy, which hadn’t quite been a painless ride. Still, April had gone with it, struggling much more than she had let anyone see. But not all her suffering had gone unnoticed, for Andy knew her well enough.

‘‘I’m so proud of you, babe.’’ Andy whispers, lightly stroking her cheek.

He doesn’t wake her, Jack does. As soon as their little bundle of joy makes the slightest complaint, April’s eyes open up, all her senses suddenly on guard. Jack’s grunts soon grow into crying noises. As annoying as April thought she would find that sound, now it’s just an alarm that brings her into action.

April sits up, but regrets that move immediately. The stitches hurt as hell, making her gasp in pain.

‘‘I’m on it, honey.’’ Andy says, getting up of the shared bed.

April watches her husband as he takes out the feeding bottle from one of the five kits Leslie has brought them – her breasts are sore enough to alternate. Andy doesn’t mess it up, not in one step of the whole process. And then April remembers why.

Andy’s new skill was gained through the lots of practice he had done during the last months. But his first tryouts hadn’t been that successful whatsoever. In fact, their kitchen was often flooded with powder milk, and they had to replace their kettle twice. But that was before Leslie taught them all they needed to know, of course.

‘‘I think this will do.’’ Says Andy with a perfectly prepared bottle in one hand.

‘‘Wait, check it’s not too hot first.’’ She warns him.

‘‘Oh, right.’’ Though not letting the teat touch his lips, Andy pours the beverage into his mouth as if it was Gatorade.

‘‘Dude! You’re supposed to test it on your wrist…’’

‘‘Sorry, I can’t help it. These things are delicious.’’ He shrugs. ‘‘Okay, let’s feed the beast.’’

Andy picks his son up as carefully as possible, instantly muting his sobbing. Carrying Jack in his arms, he walks back to the bed and sits beside April, who doesn’t even bother hiding her bliss.

‘‘You were starving, weren’t you?’’ April asks, almost absentmindedly. Her soft tone takes Andy by surprise. He’s never heard her talk like that, with that voice. Not even to him. And that’s awesome.

‘‘Yeah. He’s got his old man’s stomach’’ Andy chuckles, proudly.

They remain like this for a while, even after Jack is done with his meal and Andy rocks him to sleep.

 _‘‘I’m so proud of you.’’_ April thinks.


	24. Hard to say

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by the incredible lunabelles on Tumblr as something around Harvest Festival. Hope you like it!

April wakes up to the sound of the front door slamming. Burly is the kind of person who gets to work on time, so of course he is leaving the house at 7am. At least they are alone now. Andy’s hand downs a bit on her belly as a response to that brief noise, but his soft snoring continues.

Still wrapped in his arms, April rolls over and props her head up on one elbow. Andy doesn’t need to be sleeping to look like the most innocent thing alive. But then, as the dawn’s first beams fill the room, the unconsciousness highlights his benevolence even more. Her guard dissolves.

 _It’s new. Whatever._ April recalls her own words. Yes, it is new indeed. Unknown. Up until now, boundaries have been her inseparable friend. A friend so annoying she can barely stand, but who also would protect her against all enemies. That people proof barricade has kept her safe for years, and the consequent bitterness of everything around seems like a small price to pay.

But now, with Andy, she doesn’t seem to need much protection. She’s lying beside no enemy. No malice would ever leave his mouth, and that makes her want to cover it with hers once again. The look in his eyes will be all but judgmental when he eventually comes out of his slumber. Her brain feels light and quiet due to its lack of snide comebacks to be shot in her defense.

April can’t help the urge to run her hand through Andy’s hair, dwelling on each golden curl as if they were actually made of gold. That well known soreness in her chest suddenly fades away and her next breaths are somehow deeper. She takes in all the oxygen in the room that she’s been missing.

Then, she realizes. It’s new, it’s rare, it’s unique. It’s those three words she just can’t say out loud when he finally opens his eyes and says:

‘‘Hey.’’

* * *

Later that morning, the presence of Li’l Sebastian stirs up the whole Parks Department. The excitement of it all increases April’s willingness to maybe, just maybe, go for it. But still, she stays silent. Even when Andy calls to be the one taking the mini horse to the truck that will drop him off at the Festival.

‘‘Wanna come, babe?’’ he asks, and with a roll of her lips, she follows them outside.

‘‘Hope you have a good ride, buddy,’’ Andy says, squatting as he pets the most beloved possession of Pawnee. ‘‘Try not to get that huge penis stuck on anything, okay? Avoid things like zippers and such, take it from me.’’

Unable not to chuckle, April watches Andy as he walks Li’l Sebastian with the leash and into the truck’s back platform. Once he’s done, he comes to April and takes her by the hand.

‘‘He is awesome, isn’t he?’’ Andy asks.

‘‘Yes, he is.’’ She answers thoughtfully, the horse completely forgotten.

Andy starts walking back to City Hall, but April stands still.

‘‘What is it?’’ He asks, his eyes narrow as he tries to read her.

 _Say it, you dumbass!_ April tells herself.

‘‘Can we stop by one of those ring toss games when we get there? I… really like them.’’ She says instead.

* * *

For some reason, Andy really seems determined to win her two million teddy bears. Thus, he keeps tossing those rings even after they kiss, unlikely to stop until he fulfills his promise.

April feels the words somersaulting inside her, and this time she knows they will come out.

‘‘Hey, I love you.’’


	25. Demons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize in advance for what I did to our beloved Jack.

The room went silent as Jack’s GryzzlPod ran out of battery. Those lyrics in which he would usually find comfort weren’t there anymore. Instead, there was this same old emptiness that tended to steal the meaning of all things. Lying in bed, Jack contemplated the ceiling; his chest aching like it had been impaled by some lethal weapon.

He thought of painting, but right now he didn’t even have the strength to get up. Maybe later, for mom’s sake. The creepier his art was, the more April loved it –actually she’d been hanging Jack’s canvas on every wall of the house, saving the least scary ones for Natalie’s room-. But not now.

The knock on the door made him shudder. _Not now_ , he thought.

‘‘Jack?’’ a high-pitched voice came from the other side.

‘‘Go away, Nat.’’ Jack snapped at her.

The eleven-year-old came in anyways, jogging and grinning like the bundle of happiness she was. Jack sighed deeply as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

‘‘What do you want?’’

Natalie’s smile froze there as a response to that sharp tone, leading to a sadder expression which went unnoticed by her brother, since Jack hadn’t even bothered to look at her.

‘‘I just… I just need some watercolors. And a brush. Oh! And something to paint on, I think.’’ The girl rolled one of her blonde curls around two fingers as she enumerated.

‘‘Look, if you’re bored, go turn dad into a princess or something. Don’t touch my stuff.’’

‘‘Actually, it’s for a school project. I just remembered it’s due tomorrow. Please, Jack, all mine are messed up because mom and I used them to make colored beverages last week.’’

‘‘You didn’t drink those, did you?’’ Jack eventually turned his head towards her.

‘‘No. Though dad almost did.’’ Jack’s following snort was the closest thing to a laugh he had experienced that day. ‘‘Anyway, can I borrow yours?’’

‘‘Alright,’’ Jack surrendered. ‘‘Paint is in the blue box, sheets are in the second drawer.’’

However, Natalie stood still. Normally, Jack would pick all those things himself, so she wouldn’t make a mess of his perfectly organized material. Instead, he remained there, one arm across his face covering both eyes as if the light of the room was too bright for him.

Natalie walked towards the bed and sat next to it, leaning her back against its side.

‘‘Had a bad day or something?’’ She asked, cautiously.

‘‘You should get to work if that project is due tomorrow,’’ Jack shrugged her off, wishing it had been just one bad day.

His sister turned around to face him, now standing on her knees. Natalie reached for Jack’s hand, flat-lying on the mattress. His first reaction was to move it away from her touch, but she insisted, grabbing it so he couldn’t let go. This time though, Jack made no attempt to remove it, accepting the strokes of her thumb.

‘‘You know you can tell me, right? I won’t tell mom or dad. Or anyone.’’

Jack sighed, finally uncovering his face to look at her. He couldn’t do this to her. She was the brightest, more cheerful kid ever. Jack just couldn’t hand her all his trouble; he would have to keep all his demons to himself.

‘‘It’s nothing, really. The P.E. teacher got us running for half an hour and I’m just beat.’’

‘‘Oh, okay,’’ her lips wrinkling as she decided whether or not to believe him.

‘‘Hey, what do you say I help you out with that project?’’ he asked, trying to distract her… and himself.

* * *

‘‘We gotta show this to mom and dad!’’ Natalie exclaimed as soon as the painting was finished. After having a blast working on it, both siblings had paint stains all over their faces, hands and clothes. ‘‘You go call them while I blow it so it dries.’’

‘‘You could just wait for… Never mind.’’ Jack shook his head and went for his parents.

He found them in the backyard, but watched them from afar before stepping out. Andy was carrying April on his shoulders so she could reach one of the tree’s higher branches. Grumpy, the family’s cat, had this habit of climbing up that oak and then being too scared to jump down.

 _Silly cat_ , Jack thought. But, as silly as it was, the scene looked somewhat endearing to him. His heart warmed up a bit as Grumpy snuggled into April’s arms, and Andy kneeled down so she could be on her feet again. His father put one arm around April’s shoulders and petted the ragdoll with his free hand. She then tiptoed for a peck and both walked back to the house.

‘‘Hey, honey. You’ve got something to show us?’’ April greeted her son when she saw him reclined against the sliding door, obviously noticing the stains of paint. ‘‘Wait… you used pink?’’ She asked, rubbing her thumb against Jack’s cheek in order to remove a mark of said color.

‘‘Actually… Nat has.’’ Jack smiled; the pain in his chest temporally forgotten.


	26. Fair Play

Half eaten bags of chips and other snacks flooded the TV room’s carpet. One cold slice of pizza was all that remained inside a cardboard box that would eventually end up in the trash can, but not yet. Now, they had better things to do. Like playing video games, sitting on the floor.

‘‘Your game is over, Ludgate. I know a shortcut!’’ Andy’s thumbs moved on the controller with the same accuracy they did when he would strum his guitar.

That Xbox bought with Ben’s rental was paying off big time. They would definitely spend his next contribution on more games, but for now, the racing one that came with the console would have to do.

‘‘You wish, loser.’’ April scoffed as the upper car from the split screen sped up, nitrous-fuelled.

‘‘Hey! How’d you do that?’’ Andy asked, looking over her shoulder. Still resting her back against his chest, April tried to hide the controller from him. ‘‘That’s cheating!’’ he moaned.

April laughed, partly due to Andy’s childish complaints, and also because his beard had tickled the side of her neck. Reluctantly, Andy turned his attention back to the virtual streets so she wouldn’t take advantage of that brief distraction. A distraction! That’s all he needed to get back at her.

As soon as they got to the final lap, Andy attacked. Without looking away from the screen, his lips followed the line of her jaw, only to explore her neck leaving a trail of soft but disarming kisses on their way down. It worked. April’s Lamborghini skidded in a sharp bend and she lost total control of it, resulting in the car crashing against a gas station.

‘‘YES!’’ Andy shouted, triumphantly.

‘‘And that’s not cheating?’’ She asked, raising one eyebrow as she turned in his arms.

He didn’t answer. With his eyes still locked on the screen, Andy seemed determined to win the race. Having learned from the best teacher, April put the controller aside and reached up to kiss the corner of Andy’s mouth. His gaze went down for a second, and then back to the game. But, when April’s lips met his, and as her right hand played with the curls in the back of his head, he couldn’t help but give in.

The sound of broken glass was the last thing they heard coming from the TV, right before Andy squashed the remote when they both lay back on the carpet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to anotheropti for his advice. This would have been incredibly lame/er otherwise.


	27. Stating the Obvious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> April tells Andy about her potential job in Washington.

‘‘Yeah, so, about that…’’

And there it was, the moment April had been putting off since Andy had picked her up at the airport. The flight itself had been a blur; her thoughts so loud that Leslie’s constant talking about their future in Washington was just a background noise April could easily ignore. Her former boss’ excitement lacked any foundation, anyways.

The truth was April hadn’t even told Alyssa she wanted the job yet. Instead of walking back to the woman’s office, she had been killing time in the bathroom and trying not to hyperventilate. It seemed like the perfect job, but what if it wasn’t? Did she really want to move out? Did Andy?

‘‘What is it, babe?’’ Andy asked, grabbing the hand that had been playing with the zipper of his favorite sweatshirt, but was now trembling.

‘‘Well… turns out I did tell Leslie I’m leaving.’’

‘‘Wow! What’d she say?’’

‘‘She freaked out, obviously. But then she took me to this foundation where they find jobs for people who don’t really know what to do for a living… and I think that’s something I could actually enjoy.’’

‘‘Enjoy what? Which job did they get you?’’ he asked, excitedly.

‘‘I mean working there, Andy, at the foundation. Helping others figure out what they wanna do, and never see them again.’’

Andy’s frown dissolved as realization dawned on him. He then took the stained, crumpled paper from his pocket and checked all her demands from top to bottom.

‘‘Seems like it fits the list.’’ He said with the widest smile on his face. ‘‘That’s awesome, babe! Up top!’’

Andy let go of her hand, only to raise his for a high five. She responded, though with so little enthusiasm their hands barely made any sound when they met.

‘‘More like down top.’’ He pursed his lips. ‘‘What’s wrong?’’

‘‘They still don’t know I want the job.’’

‘‘So, we should call them, right? Oh, but you hate talking on the phone… We can ask Leslie…’’

‘‘No. Andy. That’s not…’’ She interrupted. ‘‘I wanted to talk to you first.'' April waited, but so did he. ‘‘You know, because the job is in Washington.’’

‘‘So…?’’

‘‘So, we’d have to move out.’’ She almost, almost, rolled her eyes. But that wasn’t something she did with Andy.

‘‘Duh.’’ He answered simply. And then _he_ actually rolled his eyes. And that was something he did with no one.

‘‘That means leaving Pawnee.’’ It was a stupid idea. Andy just couldn’t leave everything behind just for a job she _might_ be good at. Why did she even bring that up? April could feel that awful lump forming in her throat. ‘‘You know what? Forget I said anything. Let’s watch TV or something.’’ She tried to smile, but her voice broke at the end.

‘‘Hey.’’ He put both hands in her shoulders to stop her from trying to reach the remote. ‘‘We’ve spent weeks looking for jobs and all of them have been terrible so far.’’

‘‘Except for the accounting one.’’

‘‘Really?’’

‘‘No!’’ She grimaced.

‘‘Good thing I blew it then. Point is, this is the first one you’re kinda excited about. So, tell me this: would you go for it if it was in Pawnee?’’

‘‘Yes, but…’’

‘‘Do you think you’d be happy with it?’’

‘‘I’m happy already…’’ And then she looked down to their now intertwined fingers.

‘‘Happier? Would it be awarding for you?’’

‘‘You mean rewarding?’’

‘‘Would it?’’

April knew the answer to that. Half of her brain had spent the entire trip from D.C. blaming herself for not having the guts to pursue this new goal. She knew she wanted this, and yet she had found herself paralyzed… once again. But courage wasn’t the only thing she had to consider.

‘‘Yes. But I can’t do that to us. Your whole life is here.’’

‘‘Aha, but it has two sexy legs that can walk her around. Although maybe you’ll want to go by plane, ‘cause it’s miles away, so…’’

‘‘Shut up.’’ April cut him off. She leaned forward and rested her head against his collarbone, as he hugged her with one arm around her back.

‘‘Also, I’m sure there are plenty of creepy houses in Washington, too.’’ He added.

* * *

‘‘So…’’ he said after a while, ‘‘When do we ask Leslie to make the phone call?’’

She took a deep breath, but her decision was made.

‘‘I’ll call them.’’

At least she’d got Alyssa’s number.


	28. Lights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this at 3 am so please forgive the nonsense.

Despite the fact that a considerable amount of citizens were still opposed to the Pawnee-Eagleton merger, there was one thing they all could agree upon: the anniversary festivities commemorating such union had been a blast the past four years.

Craig was as proud as himself as he could be, considering the wide range of recreation his Department had provided for this event so far: concerts, fair games, carousels, bouncy castles… And, of course, lots of food. As far as he knew, Pawneeans weren’t likely to complain about free stuff. Plus, as a former Eagletonian himself, Craig knew exactly how to make things look fancier than they actually were, so his fellows seemed fairly content, too.

Tonight would be even more special, for the economy of the town had got back on track since the merger, and so the budget had been increased. There was a huge surprise coming up, one that only Craig and Typhoon knew about –they would have told Donna, but then she would have spoiled everyone on her GryzzlFeed, so they decided not to.

The festival’s lights sparkled in the dark like a glowing city on its own surrounded by the dimmer neighborhoods. Everything was running smoothly. More people dared to ride the ferris wheel than they did at the Harvest Festival, since it had been updated throughout the years and it seemed way safer now. Kids bounced in the jump mats, ate cotton candy and basically ran all over the venue. Adults either savored Indiana’s most typical dishes or danced in front of the stage.

Rivers was out of town, and Burly was too busy playing paintball with his son anyways –which, by the way, made Andy feel weird,- so sadly there would be no Mouse Rat reunion this time. To compensate, he and April spent most of the time at the bumper cars, driving separately at first on a playful fight between the two, only to find it was much funnier to share one car and crash everyone around together.

‘‘Wanna get out of here?’’ Andy asked when they ran out of tickets.

He took her hand as soon as she nodded, and the couple made their way out to the open fairground. As Andy and April walked towards the outskirts, they ran into Leslie and Ben. The triplets were already at home; an exhausted Roz was fruitlessly trying to put them to bed. They saw each other almost every day; plus, momboss knew they needed their moments of privacy from time to time, so a waving hand of Andy and a grossed out look by April would serve as all greeting.

* * *

The stroll takes them to the perfect spot for some alone time. It’s away from the crowd and definitely quieter. The same lake where Andy laked April’s car narrows in front of them, and a little, wooden bridge arches over it.

‘‘Oh, this is cool!’’ Andy exclaims. He then grabs the bridge’s fence, leaning forward to peek at the water beneath. ‘‘You think I could do a cannonball?’’

‘‘Uh… I think it’s too low, babe. Also, it’s not deep enough.’’ His face falls. ‘‘But we can look for a better bridge tomorrow.’’

‘‘Awesome!’’ And there’s that smile again. ‘‘Wanna sit here for a while?’’

‘‘Yes.’’

And so they sit on the platform, April snuggling in Andy’s lap while the muted sounds from the fair come as an homogeneous mix. The night is a bit cold for this early July, so Andy takes his hoodie off and wraps it around his wife, turning her into a burrito of coziness.

‘‘There’s something weird about them city lights,’’ Andy pipes up after a few minutes.

‘‘What?’’

‘‘Dunno. They make me feel…’’

‘‘Small?’’

‘‘Yeah.’’

‘‘Same with stars. That’s why I hate them.’’

‘‘Well, then… you’re gonna hate this,’’ he laughs.

With her forehead buried in Andy’s chest, April can’t really tell if there are many of them up in the night’s sky, anyway. So it’s alright as long as she doesn’t look up. But then a loud noise comes from above, like a gunshot muffled by the distance between them and the actual source of the sound.

‘‘Waaaah!’’ A mesmerized Andy points to the sky. ‘‘Look at that!’’

And then she does lift her head, only to find it’s not the Milky Way that expands up there. It’s fireworks, soaring before they explode into a million sparks in all shapes and colors.

April contemplates the light show, surprisingly unable to find it annoying. She doesn’t feel small either. The awe has caught her off guard, and her gaze is just locked on these brilliant patterns. Andy hugs her tighter from behind, equally -if not more- amazed. It’s just… beautiful, but that’s not a word she would say out loud.

The fireworks go on for what seems like an eternity, as if time itself had stopped just so they could witness them burst into the night. A bunch of more explosions, louder, faster, and then it’s all gone. Only gunpowder remains, floating in the air like mushy clouds.

‘‘That was awesome!’’ Andy shouts.

April turns in his arms, the lights from the fair reflecting in Andy’s eyes due to his pure excitement. For some reason, she can’t admit she found that awesome too. She’s still wrapping her head around whatever those fireworks have made her feel, how deeply they have moved her.

Instead, April leans up to kiss Andy, and his mouth is all she feels –a feeling she does understand,- until the Pawnee-Eagleton merger’s celebration comes to an end.


	29. Tons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starts at some point of Correspondents' Lunch (5x15), then forward to 2023. Enjoy!

The rain was pouring down heavily by the time April headed out of the Sweetums’ headquarters. She would have found it pleasant if it weren’t for the fact that what most people considered to be bad weather was probably the last thing Andy needed at that moment.

He had said he would wait for her in the car. April walked to the parking lot, soaking herself as she looked for their blue Volkswagen. And there he was, sitting on the passenger seat, his face buried in both hands as he rubbed his eyes and forehead. Good thing Andy hadn’t noticed her yet, because none of April’s muscles would respond to her commands. She just stood there, paralyzed, as the raindrops darkened her hair and the denim shirt under her unbuttoned jacket.

Some car’s horn snapped her out; two blinking headlights impatiently demanding April to step out of the lot’s main lane. Had there been room in her brain for anger, she would have given that Chevy’s driver the finger. But concern had swept over her, and that was all April could feel as she approached her car and slid into the driver’s seat.

‘‘Hey, babe!’’ Andy’s failed attempt to hide his sorrow was more than April could bear. ‘‘Wow, you are drenched…’’

‘‘So are you,’’ she said, drying the tears in Andy’s cheeks with her hand.

‘‘My clothes are dry, though.’’ He shrugged and half smiled at her.

April sighed. That was the worst part of seeing him like this. Even though his self-esteem had hit rock bottom, even though his dream was dead, even though he saw himself as nothing but useless, he tried. He tried to remain cheerful around her, just because he knew that’s what she needed. That was their balance. And he tried for others, too. God, he had spent all morning seeking for a proper foundation, so that stupid factory could clean its name. And yet…

Her drying hand forgot about the tears when Andy rested his face on it and closed his swollen eyes.

‘‘Listen. Ben is stupid, and so is this crap-producing company. Your idea was too good for them.’’

His eyes opened again, meeting her gaze. ‘‘You think so?’’

‘‘I know so. Who needs ambulances, anyway?’’

‘‘Sick people. I think.’’

‘‘Ew!’’ April leaned in for a peck as she stroked his now tearless cheek. ‘‘Plus, who knows?’’ she added. ‘‘Maybe someday you’ll have your own music foundation. Who needs those assholes?’’

‘‘Yeah…’’ Andy mulled it over, looking away at the windshield, where the rain still poured like a waterfall. ‘‘That’d be cool.’’

Andy’s following smile was somehow more genuine this time, but there was still something missing.

‘‘But, for now, let’s grab some pizz…’’ A sneeze interrupted her so unexpectedly that even Andy was startled by it.

‘‘I think we should go home and get you some dry clothes first.’’

April knew if that had happened any other day, he would have laughed. He would have driven them home instead of fumbling for the keys in his pocket and handing them to her. It took all of her to start the engine instead of going back to Ben’s office and throw one of those stupid food carts to his stupid face.

* * *

‘‘What are you thinking?’’ April asked; her relaxed tone made it pretty obvious it was a matter of time before she fell asleep on the couch.

Despite obviously being lost in his thoughts, Andy hadn’t stopped massaging her swollen feet on his lap. There was some romcom on TV, but he hadn’t bothered switching.

‘‘Honey?’’ She called again.

Andy finally looked at his wife as if he had just awoken. ‘‘Yes, babe?’’

‘‘Is there something wrong?’’

‘‘No…’’ he shrugged.

‘‘Andy…’’

‘‘I don’t know. It’s just… Now that Jack is coming,’’ he glanced briefly to April’s rounded belly ‘‘I think we could use some extra money. I could get a job…’’

‘‘Ugh, you sound like Ben,’’ April protested. ‘‘Babe, we’re fine. Don’t worry about that.’’

‘‘It’s not just for the money. I mean, there’s gotta be something that I can do… Right?’’

If there was something April had learned throughout the years was that sometimes it wasn’t about being right, but supportive. It wasn’t about being practical, but thoughtful. Andy couldn’t care less about the income. Did he even know what ‘‘income’’ meant? He just wanted to feel useful. He kept trying.

‘‘Tons,’’ she answered, and she meant it. ‘‘There’re tons of things you can do. We’ll figure something out.’’

* * *

‘‘Hey,’’ April whispered when she came home from work and found Andy on that same couch. Jack was fast asleep, snuggling on his father’s chest. She sat beside them and kissed them both. ‘‘Was he good?’’

‘‘Yeah. No swearing, no tantrums, no being out after curfew… He’s an angel.’’

‘‘With no wings,’’ she added, knowingly, as she watched the three-month-old baby breathing peacefully. ‘‘By the way, I got you something.’’

April reached for her work bag and took a colorful pamphlet out of it. Three familiar words caught Andy’s attention, though he was pretty sure one of them should be spelled differently. Probably.

‘‘Remember that education program Donna established for one of the foundations I work for?’’ She began to explain. Andy frowned, trying to recall. ‘‘You know, the reason I visited her a few months ago?’’

‘‘Oh! Yeah, yeah!’’ Andy examined the pamphlet. ‘‘Did she really call it Teach Yo Self?’’ he laughed.

‘‘Yeah. The point is, it went so well in Seattle, now the foundation wants it in Washington, too. And they need teachers.’’

‘‘That’s great, babe! So you wanna teach there?’’

‘‘No, not me, Andy. You. Would you want to work there?’’

‘‘Are you serious?’’

She nodded. Her smile grew as his did.

‘‘That’d be awesome!’’ Andy’s shout almost woke Jack. Luckily, he slept as soundly as his father, so the little boy only changed his position as a response. ‘‘Wait, but… What about Jack?’’

‘‘It’s an after school program, so you can stay home with him until 5 pm or so. But, again… only if you want to.’’

‘‘Of course I want to, babe!’’ He reached one arm out to hug her, and kissed the top of April’s head when she leaned on his shoulder. ‘‘I have one more question, though.’’

‘‘What is it?’’

‘‘What would I be teaching?’’


	30. Nemesis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place at some point of Recall Vote's Halloween night.

In spite of Chris’ efforts, that was being the worst Halloween ever. But Halloween nonetheless, and even though there was a freaking ocean between her and Andy, it was the only holiday of the year that couldn’t be cancelled. April needed a quiet place to be alone at, but was also desperate to prank anyone, to find herself a distraction. And, as she wandered around the courtyard, the empty Parks Department seemed to be calling her.

The lights were off when April stepped into the bullpen, but she didn’t turn them on. It was better this way, as if the darkness could protect her. Plus, it would make it easier to fill every drawer with chewed gum without being caught. After that, she began to place blood capsules on every chair.

April chuckled a bit when she was done with Jerry’s desk; that for sure would be the funniest to watch the next day. Then she turned around for the last one… and there it was. Andy’s desk. Not that she didn’t want to cover it with fake spider web. But what for, anyway? He wouldn’t be there the next morning to get tangled up in it, and she wouldn’t get to help him out. Suddenly, all those pranks seemed pointless.

She was removing the gum she had stuck to Donna’s phone when a knock on the doorjamb disturbed her train of thought.

‘‘April? What are you doing here?’’ The worst person April had ever met, aka Ann Perkins, walked towards her in a Red Riding Hood costume. She didn’t go too far before she bumped into the counter, since her eyes were still adjusting for the darkness.

‘‘Don’t you dare,’’ April warned her nemesis when she felt the wall with one hand for the switch.

Ann gave in and approached the strange flower, watching her step this time. The look on Ann’s face bugged April to the extreme. There was judgment there, but also sympathy, and that was even worse. As if she pitied her. As if she knew.

‘‘Hey, someone from the Ramsett’s trailer park called. He wanted his picnic blanket back,’’ April attacked, because the best defense is a good offense.

‘‘Tell him I’ll call back later,’’ the nurse went with it. ‘‘Hey, have you seen Leslie and Ben? I can’t find them anywhere... This Task Force has been a disaster so far.’’

‘‘What?’’

‘‘Have you seen them?’’

‘‘You should look in your office. I heard they do it on your desk whenever you’re not there.’’

‘‘That’s not true!’’

‘‘Well, someone has, anyways…’’ And, had Andy been there that night, she was pretty sure there would have been a second time.

‘‘Gross.’’

April walked to the trash can to toss the prank material she would no longer be using. Then she reclined against Andy’s desk and crossed her arms before her, like an armor.

Ann sighed, understandingly. ‘‘Just one more month, April.’’

‘‘Isn’t your grandma waiting for you or something?’’ she shrugged it off. Not having him around was bad enough. April definitely didn’t need any more reminders.

Ann stood there for a moment, her lips pursed. Then she stepped towards the trash can and, clearly disgusted, took a bunch of April’s blood capsules back from it.

‘‘Hey! You’re not allowed to use those!’’

But, instead of putting them into the basket that was part of her costume, Ann left the capsules on Andy’s desk.

‘‘You shouldn’t throw these away. I don’t know, maybe you could save them for when he’s back. You know, have your own, belated Halloween. Plus, the pranks would be totally unexpected by then.’’

That was a very good point, actually. Damn it.

‘‘Anyway, gotta go find those two. Let me know if you need anything, okay?’’

Why did she have to be so nice all the time? Niceness wasn’t something April could trust, ever. But still…

‘‘Hey, pregnant child!’’ April called right before Ann left the room. ‘‘They went to this Lockerbie Pub. Though they might be piercing their ears by now or something.’’

Ann turned around by the threshold and gave her a wide smile.

‘‘Thanks, April.’’ And then she left to stop their friends from doing something they would always regret.


	31. On Vacation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by lunabelles on Tumblr. Thank you for that sweet sweet prompt :)

The outside _per se_. The heat, the sunbeams burning everything they touched. The sticky sand. The crowd. The list of things April hated about going to the beach could go on forever. But she often got a good distraction out of such enumeration.

‘‘This thing smells funny.’’ Natalie wrinkled her nose as April spread the sunscreen on the six-year-old’s back. She had inherited her father’s super white skin, and so they would always pick the lotion with the highest protection factor in the store.

‘‘I know, baby, just a little bit more.’’

‘‘It’s not that sunny.’’

‘‘Not under this umbrella,’’ April pointed at the fabric above their heads. ‘‘But it is there, trust me. Look at it this way: no shark will want to eat you.’’

‘‘Cool!’’ The girl smiled with that new perspective.

‘‘You’re all set.’’ April kissed the top of Nat’s head before she ran to join Andy and Jack by the seashore.

April lay back on the towel as she watched her daughter tackle Andy from behind. The big man, immersed in the sandcastle he was making, didn’t see her coming and face-planted on the construction.

‘‘Oh, man! You destroyed City Hall,’’ Jack complained.

Andy sat back up; his face, beard and hair all covered in wet sand.

After a brief moment of silence, the two kids burst into laughter, grabbing their tummies and pointing at him.

‘‘How dare you?’’ Andy growled, faking a severe expression. Then he wrestled both of them to the ground and started tickling them with one hand each as they laughed uncontrollably.

April herself chuckled at the scene, still watching from afar. Yes, the beach was terrible. But not so terrible, after all.

* * *

‘‘What’s this?’’ Andy asked when the three of them went back to where they had settled their stuff.

Next to the spread towels, a tomb-shaped hole had been dug.

‘‘It’s a sand-bed I made,’’ April answered proudly, holding Jack’s shovel in one hand. ‘‘You wanna try it?’’

‘‘Yes! Me first!’’ Andy shouted. ‘‘Wow, this is so comfortable, babe,’’ he said after lying down in the hollow. ‘‘Who wants to be next?’’

‘‘Hmm… Dad needs some sheets, don’t you think?’’ April asked, playfully.

‘‘Oh, he definitely does!’’ Jack followed her.

‘‘But we left them all at home,’’ Nat pointed out.

‘‘You’re right bunny. Guess a towel will have to do,’’ said Andy from the ground.

‘‘I was thinking more of…’’ April squatted down.

‘‘SAND SHEETS!’’ Jack exclaimed. And at last, Natalie understood.

In the blink of an eye, Andy found himself laughing out loud while his family buried him up to his neck.


	32. Stay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by the superawesome anotheropti on Tumblr, the prompt being: ''I'd like if you stayed?'' Hope you like it ^-^

Andy’s good memory was something he could often be proud of. He was able to recall most things, and honestly, he couldn’t remember being as tired as he was at that moment. But it was worth it. It had to be. Anything so she would stay.

He was finally cleaning up the shoeshine stand so he could go home early, get some rest and be fully prepared for another day of doing everything April hated to do.

‘‘An-Diddy Combs!’’ Tom called from the end of the hallway. He didn’t seem to notice Andy was about to close the stand and sat on one of the wooden chairs. ‘‘There’s no dope suit without dope shoes, my friend.’’

Andy took the five dollar bill Tom handed to him and got to work again. He felt a painful twinge next to his shoulder blade when he arched his back for the task.

‘‘Hey, so… I’ve heard you’re taking some of April’s work this week, is that so?’’

‘‘Yeah. Well, actually, I’ll be doing it for a whole month.’’ A tired smile grew on Andy’s face. It would work. It would.

‘‘Great, then maybe you can stop by the dry cleaners tomorrow and pick up my cashmere sweater. But be careful with it, okay?’’

‘‘Does April do that, too?’’

‘‘Yeah, at least once a week,’’ Tom lied.

‘‘You got it, then!’’

Andy got finished with the brush and began to apply the polish, all without saying another word.

‘‘So… Why are you doing this, anyway?’’ asked Tom.

‘‘‘Cause it makes the shoes look shinny,’’ Andy shrugged.

‘‘No, I mean, the April thing.’’

Andy sighed and stopped working for a moment.

‘‘So she doesn’t go to Indianapolis to work for Chris. Man, if that happens, I…’’ His stomach twisted and for once it wasn’t because of the child-sized soda he usually drank per day.

Andy already knew what it was like not to have her around, from that time she went to Mexico... and ever since Ann had kissed him. No one to bring him coffee in the morning. No one to throw things at the people walking by the stand with. No ride home after work. No more fun.

But there was more. It was the way she looked at him, like he was actually worth it, like he could do way better than shoe shinning – not that that wasn’t awesome, but still. How he felt when he made her smile, because April and grins didn’t get along so well, except for those times Andy was around.

And their conversations. Andy’s memory was great; he was sure he’ll remember each and every one of them. But that wasn’t enough. The best part of his day always was to see April turn the hallway’s corner, and it had nothing to do with the food she usually carried in both hands. Okay, the food was great, too, but above all was the fact that, of all places she could eat lunch at, she would always pick the stand. She would always choose to spend that time with him, not with others, and talk to him in a way she never addressed anyone else. Beyond the words, it was her tone, which was also different when it came to him. Softer. Sweeter.

But if she left, she’d take all of it with her.

‘‘Hey, man, you okay?’’ What? Tom was there?

‘‘Oh, yes. Sorry, dude.’’

Andy resumed the shinning process and remained silent till he was done.

‘‘Hmm… I just remembered, dry cleaners are closed on Thursdays,’’ Tom lied again.

‘‘Are they? Okay, I’ll go on Friday.’’

‘‘No, they don’t open on Fridays either… Lazy owners, you know?’’ Tom scoffed and rolled his eyes. ‘‘Anyway, don’t worry about it.’’

‘‘Okay… Well, you’re good to go, sir!’’ Andy tossed the rag aside.

‘‘Clean as new!’’ Tom got down from the chair and gave Andy a pat on the shoulder before heading to the Parks Department.

Now, at last, that day’s work had come to an end. He hoped.

All the material was put into the box and he was ready to leave when he heard those well known steps approaching him.

‘‘Hello,’’ he said. _Stay_ , he thought.


	33. Wanna Bet?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by the fantastic anotheropti on Tumblr, and written under the influence of insomnia. Thank you for giving me more reasons to write for! :D  
> Prompt: Is that a challenge?

Sometimes Andy’s boredom at the office got to the point where everything on his desk became a toy to play with. That morning, he ended up playing hand-soccer with a paper ball and two coffee cups. But he soon got tired of that, stretched out on the table and buried his face in his forearms.

‘‘You bored, babe?’’ April’s voice came from above.

Andy lifted his head only to find his wife standing in front of him.

‘‘To death,’’ he answered.

‘‘Well, I have to go down to the shelter until Donna’s shift. Wanna come?’’

Andy’s mouth shaped like an O, his eyes wide open.

‘‘Yes!’’ He jumped to his feet, knocking his desk aside and making everything on its surface tremble. But his excitement hit a brick wall at the sight of the empty office to his left. ‘‘But wait, what if Leslie comes back?’’

‘‘What if Leslie comes back?’’ April mocked at him in a weird voice. Then she tiptoed for a short kiss and left the room, with Andy following her close.

* * *

The shelter was SO FUN. Besides filling all the bowls up with water and delicious food –yes, he tried some,- petting those animals was the best. Especially all the dogs, since they had accepted Andy in the pack as if he were one of them. He’d been running around with them for almost two hours by the time the first potential adopters arrived.

A fancy dressed couple was waiting at the counter. The woman wrinkled her nose, clearly disappointed animals didn’t smell like Chanel. Her male companion glanced at his watch intermittently, as if he were in a rush to get done with that as soon as possible. They were one Rolexus away from being Eagletonians.

‘‘Ugh, why are people like that allowed to adopt?’’ April groaned. She and Andy were still at the shelter’s lot, far enough to hit those snobs out without being heard.

‘‘Are they? Oh, that’s a bummer,’’ said Andy while tossing a drooled-on ball for the dogs to fetch. ‘‘They’ll probably pick a Bulldog and name him Todd.’’

‘‘Nah, I don’t think so. They’ll leave as soon as their posh coats get dirty with paw-shaped stains.’’

‘‘But paw stains are awesome! Especially the muddy ones. Who wouldn’t want that on their clothes? Once they meet these guys, they will adopt one for sure.’’

‘‘Wanna bet?’’

‘‘Okay… If they take one with them, I get to pick the movie, every night, for a week.’’

‘‘Deal.’’ April rolled her lips to hide a smile. They rarely got to see the ending, anyway. ‘‘But if they don't, you gotta jump into the Ramsett Lake before that freak you spent yesterday with is thrown by the mob.’’

Andy scoffed and held his hand out for a handshake. ‘‘Either way, it’s a win for me, Ludgate.’’

‘‘Aaaand you have to do it naked.’’ April squeezed his hand before he could take it back.

And so the deal was sealed.


	34. Erase

The awful memories of that day begin to vanish, one by one, like a bad dream lost in the morning’s consciousness. Except the sun is now hiding behind Pawnee’s horizon, as their bedroom’s light gets dimmer. The thin curtain sways with the summer breeze; fresh air April breathes in like a purifying placebo. Crickets break the silence out there; a sound that, when noticed, feels as calming as the tick of a clock.

It’s okay. Everything’s okay between these walls, providers of the ultimate protection. But, even so, they can’t do much when it comes to her anxiety. Thankfully –and inexplicably- Andy is there to make up for it. It’s not the first time he is seeing her like this, and April fears it won’t be the last one either. Not unless he gives up and leaves, because honestly, who would want to deal with someone like her?

It is already a miracle Andy hasn’t dumped her yet. It was a miracle he wanted to go out with her in the first place. All the effort he put into winning her over… for this. For nothing. A life of comforting her isn’t a life at all. And yet, here he is, wrapping her in his arms as if he didn’t want to do anything else, ever. Looking at her like she’s the best thing that has ever existed in this hostile world, even though for Andy the world is everything but unfriendly.

His arms serve as the most efficient shelter ever created; their tightness keeping the pain away from April’s chest. With his thumb on her cheek, he erases. That mean remark from 14:44 pm disappears. With his lips pressing her forehead, he erases. That awkward phone call goes away. With that loving gaze, he erases. The impending loss of him delays; its likelihood lowers and the future becomes a harmless concept… at least for a while.

Dusk leads to night in what might have been seconds, because time can’t be measured in that state. April presses herself against him even more, aware of her selfishness, but unable to let go. Andy’s embrace strengthens, though gently enough not to hurt her.

‘‘I love you,’’ Andy says, softly.

_How can you?_

‘‘You too,’’ April says instead.


	35. Plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starts at the end of 5x22, then forward to summer 2024.

Someone cleared their throat not far from them, but Andy definitely wasn’t going to open his eyes to find out whose that throat was. He was too busy kissing his wife, because who knew how much time they had before April left for Bloomington. He was so proud of her, he wanted to lift her up and spin just like he had five minutes before.

‘‘Guys?’’ Leslie’s voice called, ‘‘We’ve got a river to clean.’’

‘‘I can’t, I’m pregnant.’’ April’s lips only separated from Andy’s for the time it took her to say so.

‘‘What?!’’ Leslie dropped the plastic bucket she was holding.

Andy broke apart, frowning. ‘‘But you just said you weren’t…’’

April elbowed him, but it was already too late.

‘‘Okay, you two are helping plenty.’’ Leslie gathered the cleaning equipment back into the bucket, handed it to April and headed out to the parking lot.

‘‘Ugh. Gotta go change, at least,’’ April complained. ‘‘Meet me in the car?’’ She squeezed his cheek before following Leslie out.

Andy made no attempt to join the rest, though. Instead, he remained there, reclined on April’s desk because suddenly all his muscles seemed twice as heavy as usual. Yes, Ann had bought him a ridiculous amount of burgers, as promised in exchange for joining the investigation, but that probably wasn’t the reason. He felt something in his chest as well, and he didn’t recall lungs having anything to do with the digestive system. School.

Andy just… couldn’t picture himself living with two Romanian grownups. Not that he would reject them in case that was what April wanted; maybe he could even cherish them if they were nice guys. But he knew that kind of love wouldn’t compare to what any father must feel for his son. And he should know, because he had had the best father in history, and he wanted to be even better.

He wanted…

Andy’s cell phone buzzed in his pocket.

 _‘‘Where are you?’’_ April’s text read. _‘‘Leslie and Ben are carpooling with us, so if you’re planning on bailing out, forget it. PARKING LOT NOW.’’_

* * *

Taking Champion out took more and more time every day, since the dog had gotten old and his pace was pretty slow, to say the least. Most times Andy ended up carrying him in his arms on their way back.

That summer night, Champion had found it particularly hard to keep walking. He wasn’t done yet, so Andy waited with him near a bus stop until the poor animal managed to empty his bladder.

It was well into the night when they got home. Everything was silent, all lights were off. Andy tossed the keys on the counter and carried Champion to his bed.

‘‘Honey?’’ he whispered, just in case she was asleep. But, as his eyes got used to the darkness, he checked there was no one else in the living room.

Andy found her in their bedroom, fast asleep and with an equally unconscious Jack in her arms. Their breaths were synchronized, as if linked by an invisible bond. The baby grabbed April’s shirt tightly with his tiny fingers; even in his sleep he had a great grip.

He wanted… this.

Andy’s eyes brightened and reflected the moonlight coming through the window. There was a time when he thought he wouldn’t live to see this. Not that he wasn’t going to reach fifty, or a hundred, but their plans were way different back then. And, God, the scene would have been so disturbing had he found April sleeping with a Romanian adult. Thankfully, things turned out otherwise.

He stood there for a while before he took a shower and joined them, resting peacefully, as Champion would do from that night on.


	36. Safety Guaranteed

On very few occasions did Andy wake up before April opened her eyes. Whenever that happened, he was rewarded with the chance of watching her sleep. After a full hour of doing so, Andy figured he probably had enough time to fix them some breakfast before she woke.

He got out of bed, put on a white T-shirt and slipped into his sweatpants. Even for him, that February dawning was being pretty cold. Andy took a peek out of the window as he stretched himself. The street lights were still on; the houses and pavements of that suburban neighborhood tinted by the dark blue shades from the early morning sky.

Andy turned around to look at her once more. April was lying on her stomach, her head turned to one side. With no clothes on, only a cotton sheet covered her lower back. Andy’s body temperature had kept her warm, but now he wasn’t beside her, the cold could strike her any minute. He pulled the sheet over her and added the comforter at the bed’s foot just in case.

* * *

April woke up to the smell of coffee… and something else. She found her panties and grabbed some Sunday clothes, aka her pajamas. Lastly, she took Andy’s sweatshirt back from the floor because, God, the cold had chilled her to the bone the moment she had gotten out of bed.

That weird smell led her to the kitchen, where April found her husband pouring some beige, semi-liquid dough into a pan. Andy didn’t hear her coming and was taken by surprise when she hugged him from behind and tiptoed to kiss his neck.

‘‘Morning, babe,’’ he greeted her. ‘‘Guess what I’m making.’’

Whatever that was, its odor was disgusting. But April knew her senses weren’t to be trusted anymore… Nor would they be for a while.

‘‘I don’t know, sewage porridge?’’

‘‘No, honey,’’ Andy laughed. ‘‘These are pancakes. And I didn’t burn any this far. Nailed it,’’ he said proudly.

April sat on a chair by the kitchen table, hugging her knees and racking her brain to reject that breakfast without hurting his feelings. She knew she would have to tell him eventually, just didn’t know how.

‘‘Here, I made some coffee, too.’’ Andy handed her a steamy mug.

She didn’t take it. Instead, April stared at him with pursed lips.

‘‘What’s wrong?’’ he read her.

Nothing. Nothing was wrong. Quite the opposite, really.

‘‘I can’t have coffee.’’ April bit her lower lip, not sure how to continue.

‘‘Oh, I didn’t put anything weird in it, I swear. The Cokffee experiment was a total failure, anyway…’’

‘‘I’m not eating those pancakes, either,’’ she played the other card. ‘‘I mean, not that I can’t but… No offense, babe, but they smell terrible.’’

Andy’s face fell. ‘‘But I used Leslie’s recipe… They smell good to me.’’ He filled the pan with enough substance to make another one as he spoke. ‘‘But don’t worry,’’ Andy shrugged. ‘‘Champion and I will eat them all in the blink of an eye.’’

‘‘Champion shouldn’t eat those, either. You know, the colon problems…’’

Andy’s eyes widened in sudden realization. He tossed the spatula aside and quickly kneeled in front of April, grabbing her hands.

‘‘Oh, my God, April. Is your colon sick, too?’’

‘‘No!’’ She rolled her eyes.

Andy sighed with relief. ‘‘Then what is it?’’

‘‘It’s just… There’s gonna be some things we won’t be eating from now on.’’

‘‘We?’’ his confusion mounted. ‘‘But I don’t wanna become a vegan. I mean, Ron would kill us.’’

‘‘I meant we as in me and…’’ April let go of one of his hands to point at her belly.

‘‘My sweatshirt?’’

‘‘Oh, my God, babe! I’m pregnant.’’

Andy’s face went from expressionless to jaw-dropping in no more than five seconds. He let himself fall backwards on the floor, only to jump to his feet as fast as his big size allowed him to.

‘‘Seriously?’’ he almost shouted.

‘‘Yes.’’ April smiled wide. She had imagined Andy’s reaction would be something like this, but actually seeing him this exultant was priceless, and a great add to her own happiness.

Andy threw his fist in the air with a victorious scream. Then, he attempted to pick April up in his arms to celebrate, but her warning look dissuaded him from doing so.

‘‘Yeah, right, the baby could get dizzy,’’ Andy agreed, kissing her vigorously instead.

Filled with energy, he ran to their front lawn and continued running in circles, arms outstretched, and shouting at the top of his lungs. April watched him from the front porch, her lips rolled in a smile, not giving a damn if their neighbors were woken by the fuss.

But then… those acute senses called her attention again. Another awful smell was coming from inside the house.

‘‘Oh, shit.’’

April went back in and into the smoky kitchen. That last pancake was completely burned. She covered her nose as she put the pan away from the hob. But it was too late. The fire alarm went off and the sprinklers began to spread water all over the place.

A soaked Andy got to the kitchen’s door soon after. April was equally drenched when she turned to face him.

‘‘I’m so sorry, honey.’’ Andy fixed his gaze on the floor, his previous excitement now virtually gone.

April walked the three steps between them. She then lifted his chin up with one finger so Andy’s eyes would meet hers. The water drops kept spilling from the ceiling; every surface of the kitchen was swamped. But they would take care of that later.

‘‘For what?’’ she asked, not waiting for an answer.

April’s finger slid down to the V-neck of Andy’s T-shirt, pulling him closer for a kiss. She let her lips linger against his, because even though he already knew, there were still things she just couldn’t verbalize. Among them was the certain conviction they were more than capable of pulling that off. All those doubts and insecurities seemed completely stupid now; this was the right call, she was positive. Her gut feeling was always right, but beyond that was the fact that Andy was, and would be, by her side. And that was the ultimate guarantee.

‘‘You were right, babe,’’ Andy said when they broke apart, tucking April’s wet hair behind her ear. ‘‘These pancakes smell gross.’’


	37. Valentine's Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place after the Valentine's Dance for seniors in 2x16. Enjoy! :)

The air was gooseflesh cold that night. April’s sleeveless, black dress seemed now like the poorest clothing choice ever. Of course, she wouldn’t be freezing right now if she had waited for Derek and Ben to drive her home before breaking up with them. But, on the other hand, the idea of spending one more hour in the company of those two meatheads was just unbearable.

The sound of running feet behind her back snapped her out of such thoughts. April kept a firm grip on her purse as she turned around, ready to use the silver fork she had stolen from the Valentine’s Dance at the Senior Center.

‘‘Whoa, chill, dude! It’s me, Andy.’’ The big guy approached her with both hands up, making it clear he was coming in peace.

‘‘You scared me,’’ she exhaled with relief.

‘‘Sorry. Hey, uh… Do you mind if I walk you home?’’

April actually didn’t, much to her surprise. Long days like that one tended to drain her to the point where yielding to a long-term withdrawal became a necessity afterwards. Whenever that happened, there was no tolerance left in her regarding any sort of human interaction. But, for some reason she wasn’t willing to understand, that didn’t apply to Andy. April felt no need to recharge after being with him. In fact, his sole presence seemed to restore her mood completely.

‘‘Okay,’’ she accepted.

They walked without saying a word for a couple of minutes, but the silence didn’t feel awkward at all. Furthermore, it was comfortable. April shivered when another wave of the sharp wind bit her bare skin. Noticing so, Andy took his second-hand blazer off and put it over April’s shoulders.

‘‘Thanks,’’ she said. ‘‘So… You got tired of signing autographs for those Jurassic groupies or were they too old to stay awake past ten?’’

‘‘I don’t think they are much into Spielberg’s movies,’’ Andy laughed. ‘‘But yeah, they all went home.’’

‘‘Well, they sure are into Mouse Rat now. You guys should start making CDs.’’

‘‘You think they know what CDs even are?’’

‘‘Good point.’’

A chuckle followed her remark and he laughed along. Yes, it was freezing, her feet were killing her –why the hell she had decided to wear high heels to that lame event was beyond her,- and she had no one to make out with anymore. But right now, she couldn’t care less about any of that. She was laughing sincerely, no mask on whatsoever, and it felt amazing.

‘‘How come you didn’t get a ride home? I thought your dad let you borrow his car sometimes.’’

‘‘We went in Derek’s car. You?’’ April diverted the conversation.

‘‘I told Burly I’d rather walk,’’ he waved a hand, as if the reasons why he’d done so weren’t that important. ‘‘Hey, Derek and the other blond guy do know what CDs are, right? Maybe they can help us spread the word.’’

‘‘Yeah, I don’t think so.’’

‘‘Why not?’’

On second thought, it wasn’t that big of a deal. April pretty much had taken a weight off her mind the moment she had left them there with their stupid punch and basic irony. Plus, maybe she could trust him with this. It might be worth it, if only to see his reaction.

‘‘I broke up with them,’’ she shrugged, her gaze locked on the pavement as they kept walking.

‘‘Oh,’’ Andy took some seconds to process that new information. ‘‘I’m sorry.’’

April dared to look at him, searching for any trace of fakeness in his expression. She found none, and half-smiled at him in return.

‘‘It’s okay. I don’t think I ever liked them, anyway.’’

‘‘Also, they probably weren’t even Rock and Roll fans,’’ Andy piped up.

She couldn’t help but laugh at the idea of those two enjoying or even dancing to that particular genre.

‘‘Seriously,’’ he added. ‘‘I bet every buck I have they don’t even know who Dave Matthews is.’’

‘‘So you bet five dollars?’’ she scoffed.

‘‘Four. I spent one on those heart-shaped candies they had at the dance.’’

‘‘What? Andy, those were free.’’ April was still weirded out by the sound of her own laugh, and yet she couldn’t stop. Thankfully, there was no one else around at that time of the night.

‘‘Really? Damn it, that Old Gus tricked me again. He must hate me for taking his job from him.’’

‘‘He actually was fired ‘cause he had terrible BO.’’

‘‘Haha, was he?’’

‘‘Nah, he retired. But smelled gross, too.’’

They both laughed again, but this last piece of joy tasted somewhat bitter. April couldn’t remember the last time she had had that much fun, and even if she could, she was pretty sure it had been with him. Which wouldn’t be something to worry about if it weren’t for the fact that she should remain unreachable. Pouring too much of herself into other people wasn’t something she could afford doing.

And then there was that annoying nurse, whom Andy was still so obviously into. April should leave it at that; becoming attached to him was clearly the stupidest thing to do. But she probably wasn’t that smart after all, because the more time they spent together, the less she wanted to be apart.

‘‘So… Which one of these is your place?’’ he asked.

April bothered to look around, only to find they had gone past her house a couple blocks ago.

‘‘Oh, it’s just around the corner,’’ she lied. ‘‘But don’t worry, I’ll take it from here.’’ She turned around and walked away before he could insist.

Not long after, April became suddenly aware of the blazer over her shoulders. She’d better hide it well if she didn’t want her parents to ask her stupid questions. A piece of cake; she aced at hiding.


	38. That's What I Thought

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Missing moment from 6x15 (The Wall) ^-^

Given the bullpen’s arrangement, there was no way April could see the front counter of the Parks Department from where she was sitting. Even so, she was pretty sure Jamm hadn’t bothered to wait there to be attended. Instead, he came in without saying a word, but making sure his presence was noticed by stepping loudly as he rushed to Leslie’s office. Not finding her there, Jamm sighed impatiently and got to Andy’s desk.

‘‘Hey, you are Leslie’s assistant, right? Where is she?’’

Andy pursed his lips, obviously trying to restrain himself from laughing. The councilman’s face was swollen and covered in reddish bee bites. They had already seen him on TV, of course, but the evidence of his stupidity was even nastier in person. Andy probably had the best angle at that moment, and so he couldn’t hold back the giggle that followed Jamm’s question.

‘‘Answer me, you dummy!’’ Jamm insisted.

April put aside her doodling pen. Who did that fartface think he was? She glanced at Ron’s office, but he had left with his son earlier that morning, pissed off by the excessive attention John was receiving and the consequent lack of silence. Didn’t matter; April would kick that hideous spawn out of there if he went any further.

‘‘I don’t know,’’ Andy shrugged, no hint of mockery this time. ‘‘She just had a meeting with a guy… And then she left. She was wearing a tie-dye t-shirt, in case that helps you find her. Had a black eye, blonde hair… She’s about this size.’’ He lifted a hand to match Leslie’s height.

‘‘You think I’m stupid? I know what Leslie looks like.’’ Jamm rolled his eyes. ‘‘God, Knope, couldn’t you have hired a non-retard intern or something?’’ he asked to himself, yet loud enough for anyone to hear.

That was it.

April stood up and walked towards Andy’s desk. Jamm took a couple of steps back as soon as he saw her menacing, wide eyes staring him down.

‘‘Oh, hello, uh… The Animal Control chick, right?’’ Jamm said, almost as if he had forgotten she had been there the whole time. ‘‘Can you tell me where Leslie is?’’

‘‘No. Leave.’’ April reclined against Andy’s desk, arms crossed, clearly interposing between that douchebag and her husband.

‘‘C’mon… I gotta see her. She promised me there would be this free barbecue buffet after that Unity speech… or whatever that was. Instead, she gave us a bee fest.’’ He pointed at his own face. ‘‘She owes me that at least, don’t you think?’’

‘‘Babe?’’ she asked, not looking away from Jamm’s eyes. ‘‘When was the last barbecue we threw for the community?’’ If there was something Andy was great at, that was remembering random, useless dates.

‘‘August, 5th, 2013,’’ Andy answered without checking his computer, nor glancing at the calendar even.

‘‘And… the last one before that?’’ April’s voice was almost playful at this point.

‘‘August 7th, 2012,’’ Andy replied effortlessly. ‘‘We were going to do it on the 6th, but that day the Curiosity rover landed in Mars and Leslie didn’t want to miss it, so we waited till the next day.’’

‘‘I see… So those are annual. And in summer. Thanks, honey.’’ This time, April did turn to give Andy a warm smile, only to scornfully stare back at Jamm right after. ‘‘Do you even know which month it is, genius?’’

Jamm remained silent, mainly because of April’s intimidating manners, and probably still shocked by Andy’s unexpected skills, too.

‘‘I know!’’ Andy exclaimed excitingly from behind. ‘‘It’s March!’’

‘‘Yeah.’’ April’s tone was darker now that she was only addressing the man in front of her. ‘‘That’s what I thought.’’

She did not need to say more. Jamm, frustrated and yet defeated, could only manage to frown and leave the room with both hands in his pockets.

April went around the table and nestled on Andy’s lap.

‘‘That guy’s weird,’’ he said as she stroked his bearded cheek.

‘‘He’s an asshole,’’ April corrected.

She kissed him, more out of need than pleasure, and squeezed herself against him. She had her own armor, but wanted to be his as well.

Soon after, Andy started laughing against her mouth.

‘‘What?’’ April asked.

‘‘Did you see his face?’’

They kept laughing for a while, and no one else dared to disturb such peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leslie was at the third floor with Ron, receiving the best advice possible. That's why Jamm couldn't find her anywhere. I know that ass was supposed to be at the hospital, but I figured he probably left as soon as the cameras did.


	39. Sisters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Skips back and forward in time, between the evening after Media Blitz (cursive) and the following morning. Just hope this isn't a total mess.

April can hear her sister’s footsteps down the stairs as she pours herself a mug of coffee. Toasts are almost ready; she’s made them more out of habit than hunger. It isn’t the usual lack of appetite, though. Her stomach has been oddly twisting into knots since yesterday; there is something in her chest that wants to shout of pure happiness… Which is even weirder. But she won’t let it show. Not yet, anyway.

‘‘Morning, freak,’’ Natalie’s voice comes from behind.

‘‘Morning, Sleeping Hideous.’’

‘‘So, I had a pretty good time yesterday,’’ says Natalie, filling up the old kettle with water. Her apathetic tone doesn’t match at all with that sentence’s meaning. ‘‘That weirdo you sent to pick me up was hilarious. I almost got him into jail,’’ she scoffs, nodding her head as she reaches for the box of teabags.

‘‘Yeah, he’s kinda funny,’’ April answers simply, not wanting her sister to dig any deeper.

* * *

_Being able to enjoy Andy’s company like this reminded her of those early days, when things between them were far less complicated. Why had she made such a fuss about everything, anyway? The thought of all those lost months without him made her sick, and she wondered how on earth she had managed to see him every day without having surrendered to this pleasure._

_It all seemed stupid now. Now, that they were walking home and she couldn’t stop smiling or laughing at his random remarks and thoughts on life in general. Now, that he was claiming how awesome her bike was, even though none of them was riding it. He had offered to push it alongside as they strolled on a pavement that seemed to meet its end in the sunset._

* * *

The toasts pop out, interrupting April’s reverie.

‘‘Thanks,’’ Nat takes the slice of bread April hands to her. ‘‘But what is he? Your slave or something?’’

‘‘He was, but I’m thinking of hiring a house-elf instead.’’ Her sister doesn’t need to know. She just doesn’t.

‘‘It’d be way better, yeah.’’ Natalie deadpans. ‘‘Seriously, that guy is hopeless. He couldn’t even remember his own address when that cop asked.’’

* * *

 

_‘‘What are you doing?’’ April asked, holding her bike as soon as Andy let go of it to fumble in his pocket._

_Once he found a chewed pen, he took a glance at April’s front porch, rolled up one sleeve and started doodling something in his arm._

_‘‘Writing down your address, so I won’t forget it.’’_

_‘‘Ew, that’s creepy,’’ she mocked._

_‘‘It’s just… I mean, I’m not a stalker.’’ He blushed, the heat on his face almost visible. ‘‘Just in case you need something…’’_

_April rolled her eyes. ‘‘I know, dude, I’m kidding!’’ She gave him a reassuring half-smile. And it worked, because he grinned back at her with that childish expression she had found herself loving so many times by now._

_‘‘So… see ya tomorrow?’’ Andy asked hopefully._

* * *

 

‘‘Have any plans for today?’’ Natalie asks before sipping some tea.

‘‘Yeah, I’m joining the church group.’’

‘‘Seriously, April. Jeff’s not coming today and I need a ride to College. Can you drop me off?’’

‘‘Ugh, why can’t you get a license already?’’ April complains. Sometimes Nat can be really annoying, to say the least.

‘‘You know who didn’t have a license either? Yeah, I almost ended up in that smelly van with some creep who didn’t even know how to drive. Had something happened, it would’ve been your fault, so you owe me that.’’ She doesn’t believe this, obviously. She’s just playing her cards. But still, April’s quite bothered by it.

‘‘Ew, calm your tits, dude,’’ April warns her. ‘‘Besides, Andy does have a license. Just expired.’’

Both siblings sigh simultaneously, unwilling to let the other win. But it is Nat who needs something from her, and April knows.

‘‘So, will you give me a ride?’’

* * *

_‘‘I can give you a ride.’’ Andy pointed towards the bike between them._

_She hadn’t been able to say goodbye when they both got to her front lawn. She didn’t want to see him the next day, she wanted to keep seeing him now, to lengthen that first day of their relationship as long as possible. Thus, she’d suggested going to JJ’s instead. But April’s house was quite far from it, and the only available mean of transport had no more than two wheels, one seat… and a couple of pegs._

_‘‘Okay,’’ she accepted._

_With a firm grip on the handlebars, Andy waited for her to climb up behind him, until both her feet were safely placed on the cylindrical pieces._

_‘‘Is everyone on board?’’ he asked._

_‘‘Uh-huh.’’ April kissed the side of his neck as a further confirmation that she was ready. In the short time it took him to start pedaling, she allowed herself to relish the fact that she could just do that now. She could kiss him whenever, wherever._

_‘‘Hold on tight!’’ Andy said soon after, when they got to a downhill road._

_The bike went down the slope, increasing its pace as the road got steeper. April’s hair fluttered backwards with the resulting wind. There was something about speed that made her feel recharged, detoxed, eager… Free. She let out a whoop of excitement, and then a couple more as Andy joined her with louder yells._

* * *

‘‘Ask dad,’’ April shrugs her sister off. ‘‘I actually have plans.’’

‘‘Ugh, I’d rather walk. Or take that stupid bike, even.’’

‘‘Not a chance, sis. I’m gonna need it.’’

April leaves the kitchen without even finishing her coffee. She tries her best not to take a peek at Nat’s confused face as she steps out. Pity; it must have been priceless.


	40. Make A Wish

Never in a million years would April be down for a night of watching the stars in their backyard. Stars freaked her out in their immensity. Never would she lie at such ungodly hour on a towel, wet from the grass underneath, and completely exposed to Pawnee’s nocturnal fauna. Not ever, unless it was Andy who asked her to.

Ben had gone out with Leslie to watch that night’s meteor shower at the town’s observatory  -which, by the way, should win him the award for the most boring date ever planned.- The good thing was, he’d probably stay at Leslie’s and they would have the house all to themselves. Even though they weren’t exactly making the most of it.

April made herself comfortable against Andy, resting her head on his chest as his right arm wrapped her in its embrace.

‘‘Look!’’ he exclaimed after a while, pointing at the sky. ‘‘Did you see that?’’

‘‘Yeah.’’

Those passing lights didn’t do much for April, but seeing Andy that excited always filled her with a warm feeling she never wanted to dismiss. His eagerness fueled her in a weird way, considering her general lack of enthusiasm.

‘‘Damn it, I forgot to make a wish.’’ Andy scowled.

‘‘Try with the next one,’’ she said, kissing his jaw.

It didn’t take long for another meteor to cross the starred ceiling above.

‘‘Aha!’’

‘‘Did you make it this time?’’

‘‘Yes,’’ he said proudly. ‘‘But I won’t tell you what it was, ‘cause the wish wouldn’t come true and you’d never meet Jeff Mangum in person.’’

April raised one eyebrow, rolling her lips and trying her best not to laugh.

‘‘Oh, shit! Sorry, babe,’’ he face-palmed with his free hand.

‘‘It’s okay,’’ she shrugged. ‘‘Plus, I already know a rock star.’’

‘‘Who?’’

‘‘You, duh!’’ April rolled her eyes.

‘‘Aw…’’ He hugged her tighter against his torso.

April admitted to herself this wasn’t that bad. Not bad at all, actually.

‘‘Now it’s your turn to make a wish.’’

‘‘Andy…’’

‘‘C’mon, honey. It’ll be fun!’’

There it was again: the need to keep him that happy. His excitement was not something she could afford to let extinguish.

‘‘Alright.’’

April forced herself to take her eyes off him and gazed at the creepy stars instead. Andy’s fingers intertwined with hers at the exact moment another meteor crossed the sky overhead. She didn’t really believe in that stuff, but she went with it anyway. Because suddenly, she knew what she wanted.

‘‘Did you?’’ he asked.

‘‘Yes.’’

‘‘What did you wish for?’’

‘‘I’m not supposed to tell you, remember?’’

‘‘Oh, right,’’ he nodded. ‘‘But, still… I told you mine. If you tell me, we’ll be even.’’

Andy’s words didn’t show the smallest bit of sick curiosity. This was a game, and he was just playing. It was her fault for having taken it more seriously than needed.

‘‘Can’t I tell you the next one?’’

‘‘Legally, no,’’ Andy gave her a lopsided smile.

April pursed her lips, clearly uncomfortable with the idea. She noticed that familiar change in her husband’s eyes, a change that meant he was reading her expression like an open book. His game was over the moment he realized something was off.

‘‘I’m kidding, babe,’’ he squeezed her hand. ‘‘You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to. Plus, the more wishes you keep to yourself, the more will come true!’’

‘‘Thank you,’’ April hugged him in order to reinforce her words.

Andy kissed the top of her head and both waited for more shooting stars to appear up there, only to realize the whole thing was getting old. There wasn’t much else they could ask for.

* * *

April woke in the early hours of the next day, from a nightmare she wasn’t going to forget easily. Andy was sleeping soundly next to her, one arm still wrapped around her waist. She needed to tell him, and now was the perfect timing to do it without consequences.

‘‘I wished I’d die before you do,’’ she whispered.

Andy breathed peacefully in his sleep. April rolled to lie on her side, hoping she could fall asleep again.

‘‘No way, babe,’’ a drowsy Andy mumbled from behind. ‘‘You always say you are immortal.’’

April turned to look at him, but his eyes were still closed. And, just like that, he went back to snoring. She pressed herself against him and stroked his cheek until she succumbed to a nightmare-free slumber.


	41. What Keeps Me Going

There was no food inside April’s backpack, except for the chicken salad sandwich she had bought for the flight. But Andy wasn’t going to eat that one; he knew firsthand how bad airplane food was. She would need that to survive. Even so, he definitely could use some snacks. Seldom did he get this nervous, but when it happened, food always helped. Well, food, and that other thing. Sometimes public places sucked.

‘‘What are you looking for, babe?’’ April asked from the seat next to him.

‘‘Uh… nothing.’’ He zipped the bag shut and gave it back to her. ‘‘Hey, when does the plane leave?’’

‘‘In half an hour or so, they haven’t announced it yet. Why?’’

‘‘I was thinking of grabbing some food.’’ Andy wiped the sweat off his forehead with one hand. ‘‘You want something?’’

‘‘I’m not hungry…’’ She narrowed her eyes. ‘‘Are you okay?’’

‘‘Yeah, whywouldn’tIbe?’’

Andy stood up from the airport’s chair so fast he got dizzy.

‘‘Hey, guys?’’ he called the rest. Leslie, Ben, Ron and Diane interrupted their conversation and looked up at him. ‘‘I’m gonna go get some snacks. You guys want something?’’

‘‘I’m fine,’’ said Ben.

‘‘See this suitcase here, son?’’ asked Ron. ‘‘There are no clothes inside, just meat from the two best butcher shops in London. I’d say I’m all set.’’

‘‘Leslie?’’

‘‘Well, if you can find me some waff…’’

‘‘You got it, boss!’’ Andy ran to the restaurants area before Leslie could even finish. He just couldn’t stand still.

* * *

The Dunkin Donuts’ counter was so crowded he thought of giving Eddie a call and use his influence to cut in line. That guy was the best, but Andy wasn’t sure that was going to make the job easier. Paperwork wasn’t something Andy could wrap his head around. He knew nothing about legal issues, or business, even. What was he supposed to be doing there, anyway? Plus, April wasn’t going to be around, and that was the ultimate deal breaker.

The sight of the ticket sale point at the end of the long hallway was the last sign he needed to make a decision. There he rushed, only to find another long line ahead. Airports were so boring: time dragged on and all one could do was wait and then keep waiting.

‘‘Babe?’’ Someone pulled down his shirt's sleeve. It was her, of course. ‘‘What are you doing here?’’

Andy sighed. He wished he could do this without having to explain himself. It was embarrassing, to say the least.

‘‘I’m coming back to Pawnee with you guys,’’ he said, his eyes locked on the wallet he was holding.

‘‘What? Why?’’

‘‘I just…’’ he was lost for words. ‘‘I can’t do this.’’

April gave him a knowing look and dragged him out of the line so no one could hear them.

‘‘Listen to me,’’ she snatched the wallet from his hands and put it back inside his pocket. ‘‘You are more than capable of doing this. I told you before, you’re gonna do great.’’

‘‘But what if I screw it?’’

‘‘Well, you are awesome even when it comes to screwing,’’ she half smiled.

He couldn’t help but smile back; she had a point there. But still…

‘‘Andy, you ever wonder why Leslie hired you?’’ April’s hands played with his as she spoke.

‘‘Because you told her to.’’

‘‘Because she wanted to. You know she doesn’t work with morons, and that Jerry’s there just because the walrus mafia blackmailed her.’’

‘‘What?’’

‘‘The point is, she wouldn’t have agreed if she hadn’t seen some potential in you. Same thing with Ben. And have you ever failed them?’’

‘‘Well, there’s that time I…’’

‘‘The coffee pot incident doesn’t count,’’ she interrupted.

‘‘Then no, I guess…’’

‘‘You won’t let Eddie down, either. Plus, that guy’s fun, you say?’’

‘‘So fun! Did I tell you he owns four spy-drones?’’

‘‘And how are you gonna fly them if you are in Pawnee?’’

She was right. Not about the drone thing, because they were remote-controlled, but about him staying. After all, it was a great opportunity, and he wanted so badly to pull that music foundation off. And maybe… Maybe things would work out.

‘‘I’m gonna miss you like crazy. You know that, right?’’ That was the part he still was not at ease with. Andy brought her closer with both his hands on her hips.

‘‘I’m gonna miss you too,’’ she stroked his cheek. ‘‘You’d better steal a laptop so we can Skype.’’

‘‘I will.’’

April tiptoed to kiss him, and he treasured that moment as if he was a plane engine and her lips were the fuel. Good thing everything went slower at airports.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's just assume they waited for Ron to finish his trip to Scotland before they all went back to Pawnee :P


	42. New Year's Resolutions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by sleeplessinstarshollow as ''April, Andy, Leslie and Ben all make New Year's resolutions.'' Hope you guys like it :)

_Washington D.C., December 31 st, 2024._

For Leslie, the advantages of living in D.C. speak for themselves. She’s kicking ass working at Interior, Ben is the sexiest congressman ever since Joe Biden, and their kids couldn’t be growing up in a healthier environment. Of course, they still split their time between Washington and Pawnee. But, for work reasons, they don’t always get to decide if they leave or stay. And this Christmas, it’s time for the latter.

Spending New Year’s far from Pawnee means she can only send her greetings to the Parks gang via GryzzlCall. As for the many presents she brought them last month, she’s sure Gryzzlbox has delivered all packages in time. Even so, it’s hard not having them around to celebrate what has been accomplished in the last year, and to make tons of plans for the next 365 days.

Thankfully, not all of them are away; part of her extended family is right here beside her. And speaking of accomplishments, Leslie couldn’t be more proud when she looks towards Andy, April and Jack.

They are having dinner in the TV room, as requested by said guests, so the 16 different dishes she’s prepared spread across the little table _and_ the floor. She just hopes the triplets won’t make a habit out of this from now on.

Here they are, her 10-year-old masterpieces. While Stephen is completely absorbed in watching Jack trying new food and making faces, Sonia finishes her milkshake and Wesley tries his best so Andy’s FBI jacket doesn’t look ridiculously big on him. They are just kids, after all. That’s something Leslie is particularly aware of when Andy and April come visit.

Maybe her children could use a break from all those after-school activities. Maybe she’s pushing them too hard. There needs to be more room for fun, she realizes. She’ll talk to them about this, and they’ll discuss what they truly enjoy, and if there is something they wish they could quit. For once, it’s not Ann the one telling her she should be more considerate. Her best friend would be proud, though. God, she misses her terribly.

* * *

Ben lets Sonia take a sip of his Oreo milkshake, but she doesn’t seem to like it much. She prefers the strawberry one she’s having, which she finishes in less than two minutes. Once she’s done, she places the empty cup right in the center of the little, swamped table. Much like his father, she likes order.

Actually, there is some order among all these plates if one looks closely. Yes, everything is messy; there are a bunch of fries on the carpet and it’s hard to tell whose glass is which. But that empty cup is now crowning the scene, just like the Marverick’s cone at the top of the board. Hey, what if…

The image comes clear to Ben’s mind. The Cones of Dunshire, played not only on the table… but also on the floor. More territories to conquer as the land expands, more characters to play with. And seven more dices. Its name…. The Moors of Dunshire. Nah, too redundant. But something about the moors. He’ll think about it later.

* * *

Spending New Year’s at Leslie’s is always a blast. The best part? All the presents, of course. The food is a close second, though. But, as much as Andy is enjoying his meals, that’s nothing compared to what Jack is experiencing tonight.

Sat comfortably on April’s lap, the toddler is trying food he’s never eaten before. April keeps an eye on him the whole time, making sure he doesn’t eat anything too hot or just inappropriate for his age. Jack grimaces when something doesn’t match his taste. Andy totally loves it when he does so, because such expression turns him into a clone of his mother. But, whenever the baby finds the bite likable, his giggle fills the room and everybody laughs with him.

Andy wishes he could cook more like Leslie. That way, he would be able to prepare hundreds of dishes for his family, and Jack would try something different each day. Plus, he would make awesome breakfasts for April, just like the ones they usually eat in bed, but better. That’s what he will do next year: with Leslie’s help, he could become the best cooker in the world.

* * *

If only they knew… If only they knew April actually enjoys all of this. In fact, she loves Christmas. She always has. They’ve done their best at home with the decorations, but Leslie’s house is a whole new level of Christmassy. Endless tinsels go across the walls; eight Christmas stockings hang from the sill and, whatever can have mistletoe on has mistletoe on. It is nice, although maybe Leslie has gone too far with that sweater she is wearing.

There is a six feet tree right next to the fireplace, all lighted in colors she didn’t even know existed. Jack points at them eagerly; his eyes brighten as the LEDs blink. It’s been a great distraction for the one-year-old since she told him he had eaten enough for that night. Now, watching from the couch, he is marveled at the light show.

Then, it’s time to open the presents. The children go first. April just hopes the triplets enjoy what she and Andy bought for them… And she is quite relieved when they do. Sonia is thrilled with her new lacrosse stick; Stephen makes Andy promise he will teach him how to play that ukulele; Wesley can’t wait to ride his new mountain bike.

But what really sweeps April off her feet is Jack opening his. Andy helps him walk to where the presents are, under the tree, by grabbing both of the baby’s tiny hands. Once there, Jack sits on the floor and April gives him his gift.

The boy struggles to unwrap the box, so Andy helps him with that, too. After the paper is removed, Andy proceeds to open it, but he has difficulties taking that plastic film off of the box. April chuckles and uses one nail for the task. Inside, there is a modern board with huge lighting letters that blink when pushed.

It is the classic present from Leslie. There is no way Jack can learn how to write this early, but sure her auntie thought it was worth it to give it a try. The lights factor is a total score, anyway. April lifts her head to look at Leslie. None of them says a word; the gratefulness in her wide eyes is more than enough.

Jack is delighted. He screams in joy and presses all letters randomly, making surprised noises at the sound of each. And, as April watches him play, the epiphany comes to her. She needs more of this. She needs her team to have more members. And it will.


	43. November

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by sleeplessinstarshollow, the prompt being: "This was the best birthday of my entire life."

‘‘How was it, honey?’’ April’s mother asked, lifting her head from the book she was reading. She would always stay up until April came home, even if that meant waiting alone in the living room past 2am. ‘‘Did you have a good time?’’

‘‘Yes, this was the best birthday of my entire life!’’ April said sarcastically as she took her shoes off. Good thing her mom never seemed to notice the hidden meaning behind her words.

‘‘I’m glad to hear that, sweetheart.’’

‘‘Yeah.’’ April avoided meeting her gaze. ‘‘Good night, mom,’’ she added quickly before climbing up the stairs.

The world collapsed the moment April closed her bedroom’s door, and so did her. Self-hatred hit her like a tidal wave; rage flooded her brain, making her fists clench as those newly polished nails pounded into her palms like claws.

April dragged to the bed and lay on her stomach – the pressure of her own weight always seemed to restrain that familiar chest pain. Why did she do that? That night, she could have had it all. Instead, she’d been… Well, she’d been classic, stupid April.

Andy had come back to her right after he got the drinks he’d bought for the two of them… With money he probably couldn’t afford to waste. But, what really etched in her mind was Andy’s face after he’d found her hanging out with that douche, whose name she couldn’t even remember. Well done, Ludgate.

With a desperate growl, April dug her head beneath the pillow, wishing she could erase herself from this Earth. And so she remained as the moonlight crawled across her bedroom.

* * *

Had she slept at all, that knock on the door would have woken her easily.

‘‘Go away, I’m naked!’’ April mumbled against the cushions.

But Natalie opened her door anyway. April turned her head to glare at her sister.

‘‘I knew you were dressed, weirdo.’’ Nat rolled her eyes. ‘‘Not to the nines, though.’’

Since April hadn’t bothered to change clothes, that pink dress she’d worn for the night before was now crumpled and ruined on her. Who cared? She was going to set it on fire, anyways.

‘‘What do you want?’’

‘‘Mom said you had a great time last night, so I figured you didn’t.’’ Nat’s worry was so nonchalant it almost made April smile.

‘‘Whatever.’’

‘‘Also, you should get ready for work. You’re gonna be even later than usual.’’

‘‘Gee, thanks, mom.’’ City Hall was at the very top of the list of places she’d rather die than go to. Why couldn’t the Government just shut down or something?

Natalie said nothing else. Instead, she tossed April’s cell phone –which she’d forgotten downstairs- to the bed and left the room, closing the door behind her.

There was a message among the few notifications of belated birthday wishes from people she hadn’t seen in years. A message from Andy. It wasn’t a text, but a voice recording. April debated whether or not to throw her phone against the wall. Why she ended up pressing play instead was beyond her.

Andy’s high-pitched voice came from the speaker, singing a song she was sure wasn’t a Mouse Rat single. It was, in fact, about a month of the year. It was her birthday song. She didn’t deserve this. And, even though her phone didn’t deserve to be smashed on the floor either, that was exactly how the device’s short life ended.


	44. What Really Matters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by sleeplessinstarshollow as "You're smart in the only ways that really matter."  
> Note that this Natalie is A/A's daughter, not April's sister.

April knew something was off soon after Jack and Natalie got in the car, when she’d picked them up after school. Nat had been unusually quiet the whole ride home, considering she normally gushed excitedly about literally everything she had done during the day. April peeked in the rear view mirror, only to see her daughter staring silently through the window as the raindrops slid down the glass. Knowing her as she did, April figured it would be best to give her some time instead of asking right away.

* * *

‘‘Mom?’’

‘‘Yes, sweetheart?’’ April put her laptop aside and took her glasses off.

‘‘Can I go to the court now?’’ Jack asked, bouncing his basketball once. ‘‘Mike and Dustin are already there.’’

April looked towards the living room’s glass door. The sky was still light-grey, but it didn’t seem likely to start raining any time soon.

‘‘I assume your homework is done.’’

‘‘Yes, all of it.’’

‘‘Okay, then.’’ At this point, she knew she could trust him. ‘‘Have fun!’’ she added as her son rushed outside.

There was definitely something wrong. Rarely did Jack finish his homework earlier than his sister; some days she didn’t even have any, as most first graders. April saved the Excel document she was working on, turned the computer off and went upstairs.

Natalie’s bedroom door was open just a crack. April stopped there for a moment and listened. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard the little girl sniffing at the other side. Her children’s sobbing was the closest thing to a stab she’d ever known, and so she had to restrain the urge to step into the room with no warning. But she knew better by now, she knew some tact was required.

‘‘Honey?’’ April called softly. ‘‘Can I come in?’’

‘‘Yeah,’’ Nat said, her voice quivery.

The girl hid her face and wiped both cheeks when April approached her. She was sitting at her small desk, with some papers and pencils on it. April picked another chair to sit beside her.

‘‘Hey…’’ April tucked one of Nat’s blond curls and wiped the one tear she had missed with her thumb. ‘‘What’s wrong, baby?’’

‘‘I’m silly. And stupid.’’

Another stab.

‘‘Of course you are not! Why would you say that?’’

‘‘Because I can’t do math,’’ Nat answered, her eyes still fixed on the papers.

April grabbed her homework, already marked in red. The first problem asked how one pet owner should divide up a certain amount of food among his five dogs. Nat’s answer read: _It would depend on the size of each dog. The bigger the dog, the more food she’ll need._ The second problem was about a farmer that used to have 50 sheep, but lost 14 after he was caught by a storm while herding. When asked how many of them were left, the girl wrote that the shepherd would gather a search party and they would find all the missing animals.

‘‘I got it all wrong.’’

‘‘No, you didn’t.’’

Natalie sniffed again and gave her a confused look.

‘‘All you wrote makes perfect sense, honey. It’s just that the only thing math teachers want to see are numbers. But that doesn’t mean this is wrong.’’

‘‘Really?’’ A perfect copy of Andy’s smile grew on her face, her eyes glistening.

‘‘Yes. And you know what? Math has nothing to do with how smart people are. I suck at math, too.’’

‘‘You do?’’

‘‘Big time. But, who cares? Everyone is smart in their own way.’’

‘‘Even I?’’

‘‘Especially you. All those songs you can play on the keyboard…’’ April tapped Nat’s belly, making the ticklish girl laugh. ‘‘I’ve never been able to get one chord right.’’

‘‘Daddy could teach you.’’

‘‘He tried, but I was hopeless. You, however…’’

No more stabs. Just admiration.

‘‘So, I’m smart because I’m good at music?’’

‘‘No,’’ April shook her head. ‘‘You are smart because you are good in here.’’ She pointed at her daughter’s chest as she spoke. ‘‘And that’s the only thing that matters.’’

Natalie climbed up to April’s lap. She hugged her tight, and so they remained until Andy’s voice came from the house’s front door, announcing he was home at last.


	45. The Maze

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is messed up, sorry in advance.  
> Warning: features one bloody image towards the end.

For the first time in his life, Andy wished he was in better shape, just enough so his lungs would remain in place whenever he attempted to run the least bit. But he clearly wasn’t.

Andy stopped for a moment, resting his hands in both knees and breathing heavily. The sweat drops slid down his forehead and fell by his feet, darkening the dirt in perfect circles. He resumed the chase after a minute or so, when the possibility of him barfing his own heart started seeming less likely. At this point, he felt like he’d been running since forever, and would fruitlessly keep doing so until the end of all time. But he couldn’t care less. He had to find her.

The walls of the corn maze narrowed as Andy passed. Sometimes he felt like they were going to fall upon him, and he would be trapped beneath a mountain of corn he would have to eat in order to break free. He hated corn. He only liked candy corn. So, if that happened, he’d never make it outside.

Nevertheless, he kept running. And then he saw her, also running ahead of him.

‘‘April! Babe, come here!’’ he called.

But she didn’t bother to stop or look at him. Instead, she ran even faster and turned the nearest corner. Andy followed her, his calves aching with every cramp. He got to the corner and then… nothing. She had vanished again. But giving in wasn’t an option.

After walking for a while, another anthropomorphic figure appeared at the end of the corridor. It was tall, and definitely not of a woman. Well-dressed, too, he noticed when he got closer. Andy recognized him as soon as his poor eyesight allowed him to.

‘‘Eduardo!’’ he greeted him effusively. ‘‘Oh, man, I’ve been roaming around for hours here. It’s so good to see someone I know!’’

‘‘You sweaty,’’ Eduardo said with a strong accent and a grossed out face.

‘‘I know, man. I’ve been running, looking for April. Have you seen her?’’

‘‘Yes. She kissed me. Then ran.’’

‘‘Wait… What?’’

‘‘You no muscles,’’ Eduardo shrugged, as if that was the only logical explanation.

Someone chuckled from behind. Andy spun, only to see Derek and Ben pointing at him and laughing ruthlessly. Why were they doing this? He thought they were cool guys, even back when they were dating his soulmate. But now they were just being mean for no reason, and what was worse, they were making him waste his time. Without saying a word, Andy took the corridor on the left and continued the arduous running to nowhere.

The next person he came across was way nicer. It was Chris Traeger himself, and he was also running. Only in his case, it was just for the sole sake of exercise.

‘‘Andy!’’ Chris pointed at him as he did with everyone. ‘‘Jogging at last? That’s great! Not the best clothing choice, but good initiative!’’

‘‘Hey, Chris, I’m looking for April. I saw her a while ago, but she ignored me. I think she’s pissed at me and I’m running around in circles.’’

‘‘Oh, I know where she is.’’ Chris’ smile seemed like a positive sign. Andy sighed with relief. At least she was safe.

‘‘Really? Where?’’

‘‘She’s in Indianapolis. Came work for me, remember?’’

Though Chris’ grin was permanent, Andy’s face fell in despair. That’s where she was running to? Was she that mad at him? Had he lost her forever? God, the thought of that…

‘‘Look, buddy, your speed is literally one of the greatest I’ve known among human beings. But I think I’m gonna go faster. Good luck!’’ In a split second, Chris disappeared around the next corner, just like April had before.

Andy stopped again. There was no point in trying to keep up. His heart still pounded restlessly, hitting both temples with each beat. Andy’s lungs were a lost cause at this point, not only because he could barely catch his breath, but also due to that strange pain that twisted his throat into knots.

‘‘That’s it,’’ Andy whispered to himself. ‘‘I’m never gonna leave this place.’’

‘‘I know how you feel,’’ a familiar voice responded. ‘‘I’ve been here for days.’’

Andy turned to see where such voice was coming from. He found Jerry sitting on the ground and doing something he wouldn’t forget easily. The man was eating raw meat, with half of his face covered in blood. Right next to him, Li’l Sebastian’s corpse lied still.

‘‘I found him,’’ Jerry said, proudly.

 

At that moment, Andy woke up. He gasped soundly as he leaned forward; his heart still racing, his body still soaked in sweat. It took him several seconds to realize he was at home, in bed. Safe.

‘‘Hey. Andy,’’ April said beside him, probably woken by his sudden move and heavy breath. ‘‘It’s okay, babe. It was just a nightmare.’’

She wrapped her arms around his bare waist, resting her chin on Andy’s shoulder.

‘‘Just a nightmare,’’ she repeated before kissing his neck.

Her words brought some reassurance to Andy’s mind, which was still desperately trying to order its thoughts, to figure out what was real and what wasn’t.

‘‘You’re here,’’ Andy whispered.

‘‘Yes.’’

‘‘You are okay?’’

‘‘Uh-huh,’’ she stroked his cheek. ‘‘Everything’s fine.’’

‘‘You… You love me?’’

‘‘I do.’’ It was hard to tell in the dark, but Andy would have sworn she was smiling. ‘‘That’s what makes the sauce so awesome,’’ she added.

Then, he remembered. The Harvest Festival, the words they had said for the first time, the night afterwards. That was the real part.

He looked at her in awe. To say that he loved her as well wouldn’t even cover what he felt, so he kissed her instead.


	46. Feels Like This

‘‘How does it feel?’’ April asked in a voice that would have gone unheard, hadn’t the hospital room been in absolute silence.

Wesley was fast asleep in her arms and April didn’t want to wake him up. Once one of the triplets made the slightest sound, the other two would chime in demanding the same attention. Given it was just Leslie and herself there –Andy and Ben had gone out for some snacks- it would be best to keep things quiet.

‘‘Well, the stitches suck,’’ Leslie answered, weakly. ‘‘But the pain killers are working,’’ she half-smiled.

‘‘No. I mean…’’ April skimmed Wesley’s fingers, avoiding eye contact. Those tiny hands emphasized the baby’s fragility. A creature that should always be protected… properly. ‘‘What does it feel like? To be…’’

‘‘A mother?’’ Leslie guessed, sitting up in the bed. ‘‘Well, part of me is still processing all this.’’

April felt a strange tingle in her chest when the newborn she was holding grabbed one of her much bigger fingers. Still asleep, Wesley had got a firm grip on her wedding ring. Despite having been caught by surprise, it felt… Well, it felt weird, uncanny… and amazing.

‘‘But the other part is kinda like that,’’ Leslie continued. April looked at her, not sure how to feel regarding her boss’ knowing smile. ‘‘They are the best thing I have. The best thing I’ve ever done, and I’ve founded two National Parks.’’

April couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

‘‘But this is bigger,’’ Leslie added. ‘‘Why? Are you guys planning on…’’

‘‘No,’’ April interrupted before she went any further. Her louder tone made Wesley stir a bit, but his eyes remained closed.

April cursed herself for thinking she could ask without being interrogated in return. Why had she brought that up? She was curious, that’s all. On the other hand, Leslie wasn’t the real problem. After all, the issue didn’t concern her directly and it was easy to cut her off with a simple negative. But April had a hunch that that wasn’t going to be the last time she would be having a similar conversation within the next few hours.

Seeing Andy marveling at the triplets had been even more confusing than watching him perform during his Johnny Karate gigs. It had been different, but not because of the money that the latter implied; sometimes she even had to remind him that he didn’t have to pay for his own shows. No, it wasn’t that. It was Andy’s expression while he was holding Stephen; the baby seeming even smaller in his gigantic arms. The way he looked at Sonia, all adoration; the way he bubbled over every incoherent sound Wesley would make.

That day, the epiphany had come to April clear as day: Andy was ready. He was, and it sure wouldn’t take him long to verbalize his wish. They had talked about it before. But again, this time was different.

* * *

She’d been dreading the moment ever since they left the hospital. But, instead of bringing up the issue on the way home, Andy had turned up the radio’s volume and sung those Foreigner’s lyrics from the top of his lungs, looking at her from time to time as if he was singing to her. Then he’d made a couple of remarks regarding the triplets’ awesomeness, but nothing involving the two of them or the near future.

Later, April took her time in the bathroom as Andy waited for her in bed. This time, the little bottle of birth control pills trembled a bit in her hands.

Everything Leslie did was encouraging. She had come so far, but she was also the kind of person that’s equipped to do great things. And, if April had moved any further from her former apathy and hopelessness, it had been largely thanks to Leslie’s inspiration.

But April wasn’t Leslie. She couldn’t allow herself to fail at such endeavor. The odds weren’t probably in her favor in terms of raising another human being without them becoming one of those lame persons she had to deal with every day. And, even before that, babies were frail creatures. Creatures that should be taken care of... properly.

Of course Andy would excel at it, April thought as she popped the bottle open. But she clearly wasn’t ready. The pill descended inside of her like a time capsule. Not yet, anyway. And, somehow, Andy knew, because he didn’t bring the question up once that night, nor the ones that followed.

He gave her time, until that orange bottle became dusty inside the bathroom cabinet.

* * *

‘‘So, how does it feel?’’ Leslie asked from the couch next to April’s bed.

The situation mirrored that one from years ago, just the other way around. Leslie wasn’t holding Jack, though; she would have to wait until April gave in and had some sleep. But, as exhausted as she was, that wasn’t happening any time soon. Jack wasn’t sleeping either. He was looking at her mother with those wide eyes of undetermined color, smiling now and then at things no one else could see.

April mulled the question over as she stroked the baby’s cheek. But translating what she was feeling into English wasn’t exactly easy.

‘‘It feels… right. Like I’ve been missing this my whole life,’’ there she was, sharing too much again. But, at that moment, she couldn’t care less. ‘‘Like I’d do anything…’’ she whispered, as if she was talking to Jack instead of Leslie.

‘‘For him. I know.’’

‘‘This stays between us,’’ April joked, hiding a smile by rolling her lips.

‘‘Of course,’’ Leslie agreed.


	47. Deathday

After a whole day of setting things up, the house’s garage was ready for the best deathday Orin would ever have. According to April, deathdays were Orin’s version of birthdays, but Andy didn’t quite get it. How did he know the exact day he was going to die?

Anyway, Andy had gone with it since April told him how this special day should be celebrated. It sure was fun, kind of like Halloween. Plus, he owed Orin so much that he probably would also have been involved had it been less amusing, like one of those art shows he never missed… or understood.

Yeah, maybe those things Orin was into didn’t make much sense to Andy, but the guy was cool and, above all, he was April’s best friend. He always had been. Andy was well aware of April’s struggles in the past, back when he wasn’t around. Inventing a time machine to go back and spare her all trouble by kicking those bullies’ asses was still on Andy’s bucket list. But, since he hadn’t been able to get most of the required pieces, being glad that Orin had been there for her was all he could do for now.

This year, Andy wanted to make it special. While April was at work – he’d told Leslie he was sick, and April that he just didn’t feel like going,- Andy had tried his best to turn their garage into a creepy haunted house, which would also be cozy enough for a movie night – a scary one, of course. The room was filled with spider webs, fake blood, their old skeleton, decapitated dolls, nasty pictures and a collection of chainsaws Ron had let him borrow. Once food and drinks were in the mix, the place would look like the serial killers’ heaven… Or hell.

* * *

‘‘Babe, you should start dressing up,’’ April said as she backcombed her hag hair in front of the mirror. ‘‘Orin’s gonna be here any minute.’’

‘‘I… Huh… I made something. I mean, it’s nothing, but…’’ Andy couldn’t find the words. Suddenly, the idea didn’t seem as good as before. Maybe she’d rather go prank everyone in their neighborhood instead, as they had initially planned. What if she, or Orin, didn’t like it?

‘‘What’s going on?’’ she asked.

‘‘I wanna show you something. But you don’t have to use it if you don’t like it, okay?’’

‘‘Okay.’’

* * *

Of the many times Andy had found it hard to take his eyes off of April’s face, that one was definitely among the top five. The garage was a bit dark due to the fact that it only had one small window, but that was kind of the point. Even so, the decorations stood out clearly for her. April wandered around the room, mesmerized by every detail Andy had included there.

‘‘You did this?’’ April’s voice was weird, as if she was stifling some greater emotions.

‘‘Yeah.’’ Andy scratched the back of his head. ‘‘Do you like it?’’

April didn’t answer. Instead, she dragged him by the plaid shirt he was still wearing, pushed him onto the couch and straddled his lap. She kissed him, and then kissed him again, and again, and something told Andy that she would have continued if he hadn’t broken apart to announce Orin’s presence outside. He would never knock, but Andy could tell he was at the other side by the interrupted line of light coming from underneath the garage door.

Orin loved it as well. At least, that’s how April translated the boy’s moan. As for Andy, the only downside of the night was the movie. It was obvious that the main character had been dead the whole time. That was always Andy’s prediction, and he was always right. Probably.

Anyway, he’d nailed it.


	48. Leave It Behind

‘‘Good night, dad,’’ Nat yawned big as Andy tucked her in.

‘‘Good night, bug,’’ he answered, kissing her forehead. ‘‘Good night, Mr. Groffle,’’ he added, tapping the nose of the stuffed teddy bear whose head poked out from under the covers.

The seven-year-old chuckled. Not that it was the first time her father kissed them both goodnight, but to her it was always hilarious.

Andy switched the light off and left the bedroom’s door open just a crack. Nat liked it that way, not because she was afraid of monsters –those only came out in Halloween, according to mom,- but so that Grumpy, their awesome cat, could enter and leave the room as he pleased.

 

Natalie was almost asleep, half of her brain already dreaming of Grumpy climbing up his favorite oak in the backyard. The other half, though, heard some steps approaching her door at the other side. They were kind of quiet, and definitely not as heavy as dad’s. Those two feet barely brushing the carpet must have been mom’s. A single knock on the door made Grumpy vanish from her mind like a puff of smoke.

‘‘Baby? Are you awake?’’ April whispered by the threshold.

‘‘Yeah,’’ the girl answered in a normal tone.

‘‘Shh, daddy doesn’t know I’m here.’’ April came in, closing the door behind her.

Nat sat up and leaned back against the headboard as her mother sat on the edge of the bed.

‘‘Why?’’ was all she could ask.

‘‘There’s something I need to tell you about.’’

‘‘What is it?’’

The drowsiness suddenly abandoned her, replaced now by the excitement of secrecy. Something that had mom sneaking in her room so they could talk about it? Something no one else knew, not even dad? Awesome!

‘‘Remember that time last year, when you asked dad if he wanted to practice in the music room, but you both ended up playing Mario Kart instead?’’ April played with Nat’s fingers in hers as she spoke.

The little girl frowned. Time and memories were somewhat confusing to her. Moments often overlapped in her brain, making the past seem like one of those complicated movies on TV that only Jack liked. Sometimes she remembered things no one else could recall, and sometimes she forgot about the most obvious, important facts.

But that day her mother was referring to, she remembered vividly. That had been the first and only time her father had suggested an alternative plan to hers. Playing Mario Kart was so fun that she hadn’t given much thought to it afterwards, but now that mom had brought that up... Maybe there was something else to it.

‘‘Uh-huh,’’ Nat nodded.

‘‘Well, that’s because there’s this one day of the year when dad doesn’t feel like playing.’’

‘‘Like, the same day each year?’’

‘‘Yes. And that day is tomorrow again. But I know what could cheer him up.’’

‘‘What?’’

Secret plans! This was remaining interesting.

* * *

There were few things Andy found himself hating. Yes, he hated corn, broccoli, long lines and anything that would make April upset, but he also hated the word _hate_ itself. There was something else he utterly disliked, though: every 25 th of August.

On that day years ago, the Pawnee-Eagleton Unity Concert had taken place, successfully soothing the grudge that the formerly independent towns used to hold against each other. The concert had been a blast, and he would cherish the memories of that night forever. But, at the same time, there was something bitter that made those memories less sweet. There should be a term for that. Anyways. The point was, that was the last time the Mouse Rat members played together.

It wasn’t like he missed that. Thanks to April, they had had the best farewell on stage any band could have asked for, and he wasn't one for dwelling on the past, anyway. But, for some reason, he never felt like playing on the anniversary of such milestone. It was like a tribute no one knew he paid.

As a music teacher, Andy thought it would be hard not to play any instruments during the day. Then, he had the best idea: an impro class. Thus, the kids had spent the whole period playing randomly as he listened, amazed by all the creativity that regular lessons usually muffled.

Now, at home, he figured helping Jack with his History homework was a good way to keep himself far from the music room.

‘‘You know, the interesting fact about Christopher Columbus is how he was born in 1451.’’ Andy had no idea who that guy was, but he did remember… that.

‘‘Yeah, super-interesting,’’ Jack smiled and seemed almost intrigued, but something told Andy he didn’t really mean it. ‘‘And what even did he accomplish so I now have to memorize his stupid life?’’ Yeah, his son definitely wasn’t into History.

‘‘You’re right, this is kinda boring,’’ he admitted. ‘‘But I guess you need to…’’

Wait, was that music? Oh, that must have been Natalie. Andy had been teaching her how to play guitar for the last couple of months. She was probably practicing. It was nice that at least one family member could…

Hey, weren’t those…? Those chords were extremely familiar.

‘‘Dad, are you okay?’’ Jack asked.

‘‘The Pit,’’ he mumbled.

Andy jumped to his feet and ran towards the music room, leaving a confused Jack behind. Once there, he could barely believe the scene before him. April was at the drums. She had never bothered to learn, but rhythmically hitting those toms wasn’t exactly rocket science. As for Nat, she was playing her own guitar, showing the kind of talent that can only be inherited. Both were singing that old song about a giant pit that no longer existed, since it had been turned into a beautiful park.

Maybe that was the natural course of life: eventually, old things had to be replaced by more beautiful ones. And damn if what he had right now wasn’t beautiful. That was the only thing worth honoring.

Without a second thought, Andy picked his guitar and strummed a second voice, complementary to the one his daughter was playing. He then joined along, singing so loud that even Jack came to see what was happening.

‘‘You guys are nuts,’’ the boy mouthed, leaning back against the threshold. But he was actually smiling. Not sarcastically this time, but genuinely.

As far as Andy was concerned, nuts tasted awesome, so he took that as a compliment.


	49. Side Effects

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place after that awful first forum April leads wearing Leslie's clothes.

April leans back in the chair as the last meatheads that Pawnee has for citizens leave the room where public forums usually take place. Her heart pounds so hard in her ears, she can barely hear the door closing behind the douche that suggested the topless park idea and started everything that came after. She hates him, but the rage will have to wait.

At the moment, there is little room in her brain for hatred. Or anything, really. April can feel that familiar wave of derealization taking over her. She knew it would come; she’s been sensing its presence since she opened her mouth to explain what the stupid forum would be about – pretty sure half of them didn’t even know what they had even come for, and were only there to yell at her.

Nothing could have helped her, no matter how many of Leslie’s quotes she phrased, or the hours she spent making those bracelets. Not even the note Andy slid across the table, where his crooked, childish handwriting read: _you’re doing awesome, babe!_ That nervous menace had waited patiently in the back of April’s mind, tensing her muscles and making her voice tremble, higher-pitched than usual. But waiting, after all.

Now, her time is over. Anxiety sneaks in her blood, flooding every inch of her body, every nerve, every tissue, every corner of her brain. The empty, black chairs in front of her are nothing more than a sea of darkness that seems to also be covering the walls around. There is something obstructing her throat. A hot flash radiates from her chest, burning both cheeks feverishly. Everything is fuzzy.

Even Andy’s voice seems muffled, as if coming from the other side of her own bell jar.

‘‘Honey? Are you okay?’’ he asks, maybe not for the first time.

April breathes through her nose, her eyes closed. She needs to calm down. Everyone is gone, it’s just the two of them now. Andy has seen her like this before, but that doesn’t mean he should. It’s just not fair to him.

‘‘Yeah, just… Give me a minute.’’

Burying her face in her hands, she massages right under her eyebrows, where the pain is dull but promises to strike harder soon. And then, she loses her balance. At first she thinks she is finally fainting, but her head does not hit the ground. Much on the contrary, April recognizes the fluffiness of Andy’s chest against her temple. He must have lifted her in the air and sat her on his knees.

Andy says nothing, and she loves him for it. Nestled in his lap, April can feel the beat of his heart, much slower than hers. She focuses on making her own heartbeat match his rhythm by adjusting her breath. It’s impossible at first, but more and more effective as she keeps trying. The soothing effect of Andy’s thumb rubbing her forearm also helps.

‘‘How many signatures did we get?’’ April asks, now calmer.

‘‘Oh, a lot of them!’’

April grabs the sheet, only to find just four people have signed. Besides their own, the other two signatures belong to some guys named Farts McCool and Kip Hackman. The writing of the latter is crooked and childish.

‘‘Great,’’ she says, tossing it away.

‘‘Well, at least it’s over now.’’

‘‘Yeah, but we’ve got another one today. I can’t even… Ugh, I hate them.’’

‘‘I know you do,’’ he says, pushing a strand of April’s hair over her ear.

‘‘I hate these clothes, too,’’ she adds.

Andy runs his eyes over the old fashioned outfit she is wearing, and then it seems to her that his expression goes beyond the unsaid _you look super weird_. He is frowning, thinking, but her eyelids are too heavy, her joints are too sore, his torso is too comfortable. There’s no chance to ask before she is fast asleep in Andy’s arms.


	50. Adventures

_After three weeks on the high seas, the wooden vessel came across the first inconvenience along its journey. Sailors were well aware of the dangers they would have to face; namely, those dreadful creatures rumored to dwell underwater. But most of those men were too desperate to care. If everything went as planned, the land they were bounding for would provide them with lots of solid gold, so a group of haunting mermaids wasn’t going to intimidate them. But, on that morning, something much scarier awaited in close proximity._

_Captain Ron Smith, the bravest man ever crossing the ocean, could sense it since he first stepped on the deck. Something was off, definitely. The breeze… the breeze was different. He was still trying to identify that odd smell when a huge whirlpool appeared in the water near the prow. Sailors crowded along the handrail after the lookout called out such sighting._

_Seconds after, an enormous monster emerged before the large ship. Its green, scaly skin gleamed under the sun. Sharp fangs stuck out, menacingly._

_‘‘Holy Moses,’’ Ron muttered._

_It was nothing like Captain Smith had ever seen, and way worse than what the seers in town had predicted they would meet on the pursuit. Pretty much like a dinosaur, but those became extinct years ago… or didn’t they?_

_Not a single member of Ron’s crew was known to be a wuss. Thus, they hurried to get their guns and fight the beast as soon as possible. Since Ron had his own revolver already on him, he was the first one to shoot. But, much to everyone’s surprise, the bullet bounced off, causing little damage._

_Not only did that outrage the animal, but also determined its main target. The dinosaur went right after the shooter, and Ron disappeared between its jaws before any of his men could take action. All of them became paralyzed for a moment. It was the end, there was no chance to defeat such creature with those powerless guns… and without their Captain._

_But then, something amazing happened. The monster began to growl in agony, writhing and barely keeping afloat. With a louder howl, everything it had eaten that day –Ron included- poured from its mouth, landing on the deck beneath. Then, the monster submerged and swam away._

_‘‘I ate spoiled seafood last night. Did nothing to me, but it was enough to poison that bastard,’’ Ron explained proudly, now encircled by the awed sailors._

 

It would have been a happy ending, hadn’t Jack created a huge wave across the water in his plastic, baby bath. After that, the toddler grabbed the wooden ship Andy had stolen years ago from that weird Councilman who used to build ships in bottles, and drowned it to the bottom with his chubby hands.

‘‘Yay! You killed them all. Well done, baby,’’ April praised her son as she washed his hair.

‘‘No, babe. Ducks are aquatic, so they can breathe underwater,’’ said Andy, gathering the rubber ducks that composed the crew under the orders of Captain Ron. ‘‘Don’t worry buddy, they’re all safe.’’

Andy poured some shower gel on his hand and rubbed Jack’s belly, half washing, half tickling him. The baby giggled in response.

‘‘Yeah, it’s about time you took a bath. Someone here was starting to smell weird,’’ Andy teased. He wasn’t serious, obviously. They gave Jack a bath every night, and each one of them brought a different adventure.

April feigned a gasp, now washing the boy’s feet. ‘‘How dare you, dad?’’ she responded on Jack’s behalf. ‘‘Jack, tell daddy who really smells weird.’’

Jack smiled wide, as if he was somehow taking in the whole conversation, and pointed at his father without a doubt. Andy’s jaw dropped instantly.

‘‘Oh, my God, when did you teach him that?’’ he asked his wife.

‘‘I didn’t,’’ April shrugged, albeit with a telltale smile.

‘‘Maybe I do need to take a shower.’’

‘‘We both do,’’ April gave him the eye, and Andy forgot about everything else for a moment. ‘‘But first we need to put Mr. Spawn Dwyer to sleep.’’

April bundled up the baby in his little towel, nestling him against her torso. After she fondly kissed the tip of his nose, Jack babbled nonstop, making it clear that getting him to sleep wasn’t going to be easy.


	51. Redemption

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The year is 2047. Time flies, doesn't it?

Coming back to Pawnee always brought so many memories. Most of them were pleasant, April had to admit, but others… well, not so much. The truth was, she had detached herself from so many things that had always been there. For instance, despite still being a big fan of cemeteries, April hadn’t been able to come back to Pawnee’s graveyard ever since her parents died. Of course she attended the funeral, but that was the last time she was there.

She couldn’t see herself wandering near City Hall, either. Maybe she dreaded to become aware of how much time had actually passed by; maybe she didn’t want anything from the present to spoil those memories.

People in Pawnee were another thing she’d lost contact with. Not that the Ludgate-Dwyers wouldn’t come back every summer –and most Christmas, since Leslie and Ben moved there once the latter retired.- But April would only see Tom and Donna on their yearly reunion, and she couldn’t care less about the other citizens in town, Ann included.

Thus, Leslie took her by surprise when she called that October morning asking her and Andy to go pay a visit. The 72-year-old woman’s voice sounded raspy, and for a second April’s heart skipped a beat, fearing she was sick. Leslie reassured her, alleging it was due to the three speeches she had given the day before. It wasn’t Leslie’s health that wasn’t at its finest, but Garry’s.

‘‘Who?’’ April asked, though she remembered perfectly.

Leslie sighed. ‘‘You know, Larry… Jerry Gergich? Pawnee’s mayor for the last 30 years?’’

‘‘… Nah, don’t recall.’’

‘‘April, this is serious. Garry had a heart attack last night.’’ Leslie emphasized the word _heart_ , probably so no fart jokes were made in response. ‘‘He’s in the hospital. I think you guys should drop by.’’

April mulled it over.

‘‘What?’’ Leslie asked, reading her expression. Those stupid Gryzzl video calls were the worst. ‘‘Don’t you feel bad at all?’’

‘‘Okay…’’ April gave in. ‘‘We’ll catch a flight today, or whatever.’’

‘‘Good.’’

* * *

It was well into the night when April and Andy arrived at Pawnee’s hospital. Even at 2 am, the Pawnee Sun and several other networks plugged the main entrance, so it took a while for them to find an alternative way in.

April stopped a few feet away from the transparent walls of Garry’s room. He seemed unconscious. Gayle was the only one beside the mayor’s bed, her hand firmly grabbing his. All the others must have been there during the day, but at that time, his wife was all that remained.

 _So who’s gonna watch you die?_ The song resounded inside April’s head, as clear as if it was actually playing right next to them.

Now she knew why she didn’t want to come.

‘‘Why did we stop?’’ Andy asked. ‘‘Oh! Is it contagious?’’

‘‘No, he just had a stroke,’’ April answered, absentmindedly.

‘‘Then it is. We should just watch from here.’’

Ignoring him, she stepped forward. It was almost like she was being driven by an invisible force: while every instinct told her to escape from that depressing place, there was a part of her demanding to stay. To stay and do something. But what?

‘‘Can I help you?’’ Gayle asked when the couple entered the room after a brief knock.

‘‘We are April and Andy, ma’am,’’ Andy said, luckily for April’s blank mind.

The woman frowned, and for the first time those creases hinted she was getting older, too. Then, she recognized them.

‘‘Oh, yeah. Yeah, I remember. From the Parks Department, right?’’ With her free hand, Gayle pointed at the chairs, inviting them to take a sit.

* * *

At some point, Gayle left to go to the bathroom. Andy was fast asleep, his head leaned backwards against the wall. April was still lost in a dark reverie.

‘‘Hey,’’ Garry said, startling her. The man didn’t move; he might as well have just grunted. Except he kept talking. ‘‘Is that you, April? Wow, what are you doing here?’’

‘‘I… Leslie told us about your heart attack,’’ was all she could answer.

‘‘And you came down all the way here from Washington?’’ Garry struggled to breathe, and inhaled deeply before he continued. ‘‘That’s so nice of you guys. Thank you.’’

 _Don’t you feel bad at all?_ April’s brain echoed. This wasn’t a song, but Leslie’s voice. Shit.

‘‘Where’s Gayle?’’ Garry asked.

‘‘What?’’

‘‘Gayle?’’

‘‘Oh. She… she’s in the bathroom. Will come back in a minute.’’

‘‘Okay.’’

_Don’t you feel bad? Don’t you?_

‘‘You know, I’m so glad I didn’t die,’’ the man said after a few seconds. ‘‘I mean, beside the obvious reasons, I’d really want to be 100 someday. I’m just one year away.’’ He laughed, which only led to a cough fit that made Andy stir in his chair.

‘‘I hope you make it,’’ April said without a second thought. ‘‘I also hope you can forgive me.’’ Wait, was it her who had just said that?

‘‘Forgive you? For what?’’

‘‘You know, those days back at Parks… I basically gave you hell. Everyday. I don’t know why I did that, really. I lived it myself and… I guess I didn’t want to be the weak one over again. But that’s no excuse. I… I’m sorry, Garry.’’

The patient took a moment to process it all. At that point, going back down memory lane probably wasn’t easy for him either.

‘‘Th… Thank you, April, I really appreciate it. But there’s nothing I should forgive you for. You know, I’ve always led the happiest life possible. It never made me miserable.’’

‘‘It could have, though.’’

 _It_ sure had been responsible for most of her own misery so long ago, and _it_ sure hurt Jack in the worst way. But her son, much better than herself, never bullied back.

‘‘Seriously, don’t feel bad about it. It’s okay.’’

And with those words, a heavy weight lessened in April’s chest.

‘‘Honey? Where are we?’’ Andy asked beside her in a drowsy voice.

‘‘In Pawnee, babe. We’re at home.’’


	52. Should I Stay Or Should I Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place between seasons 4 and 5 :)

Ever since Leslie won the election, she had been working long hours at City Hall, filling dozens of binders with all the bills she had in mind, and making sure her new office was perfectly equipped. Some nights she was so busy that she wouldn’t even go to Andy and April’s place to have dinner with Ben. That night was one of those nights. Which meant Ben would have to put what they had planned on the table alone, with no backup from his insistent girlfriend.

Leslie did help him when she suggested he should use food in his favor. After all, the couple Ben lived with was oftentimes conquered by their stomach. Thus, Ben cooked the greasiest dish he could think of: mac and cheese pizza. He’d never done that before, and as the experiment heated in the oven, he was all but sure about its edibility.

Turns out, it wasn’t that bad. In fact, April and Andy congratulated him on such invention, and polished it off as the trio watched TV on the couch. Now, it was time to take action.

‘‘So… You know I’m going to Washington in a couple of weeks, right?’’ asked Ben.

‘‘Yeah. How dare you, Ben? Running away with your new lover and abandoning Leslie that way?’’ April fisted her hand around the fork she was holding, menacingly.

‘‘Jen Barkley? She’s kind of my boss…’’ And then Ben stopped trying to explain himself; he’d learned it was just pointless every time.

‘‘You’ll still be paying the rent, right?’’ Andy asked, his mouth full of a cheddar-based lump.

‘‘… No. I’ll be out of state for like five months.’’

‘‘So?’’

‘‘So, I’ll pay for a place to stay there, and that’s it.’’

Andy shrugged and all his attention returned to the pasta.

‘‘Anyway,’’ Ben went on, ‘‘Lesl… I was thinking maybe you should come work with me as an intern. There will be other interns there, and I think you all could learn a lot from the experience.’’

‘‘Not interested,’’ said Andy before swallowing soundly.

‘‘Actually, I was talking about you, April.’’

And there it was, that intimidating look that could have paralyzed Ben for years hadn’t he known her any better. Even with her glasses on, April’s eyes showed she despised the idea as anyone would be opposed to have one arm ripped off.

‘‘Pass,’’ was the only word she bothered to say.

‘‘Okay. I just think it’d be great for your resume, and also…’’

‘‘Alright, I’ll go.’’

‘‘Really?’’

‘‘No. I just thought you would shut up if I said yes. My mistake.’’

In moments like that one, Ben wished there was a camera he could stare right into. But foremost, he wished Leslie was there to win his lost bouts for him.

* * *

Later that night – and after several moments of pure bliss- April’s consciousness was about to call it a day. Emptying her mind was always easier with her head rested on Andy’s bare chest, as he piped up his trivial thoughts about the world, though for her they were all but silly. Somehow, Andy managed to ask the deepest questions with the innocence of a child. And, whenever his remarks were actually childish, they helped April take things less seriously, which she desperately needed sometimes.

She was already drifting off, but he still had one more question.

‘‘So, huh… You really don’t wanna go to Wisconsin with Ben?’’

‘‘It’s Washington. And it’s stupid. Plus, I don’t wanna be apart from you.’’ April kissed Andy’s torso and stroked his growing stomach.

‘‘Well, I’d go visit you, of course,’’ he laughed, kissing the top of her head. ‘‘Oh! And we could go all over the city searching for clues, like in the National Treasure movies!’’

‘‘Those movies suck, babe. But I like the part where we go all over the city, as long as we do other things besides just looking for stuff with a map.’’

‘‘I’m in!’’ he said, sliding one finger down April’s back and almost making her shiver. ‘‘Also, we could trick tourists.’’

‘‘And get them lost. After they pay us.’’

‘‘Yes!’’

Their chuckles filled the room for a moment after that. Then came the silence, bringing some old doubts with it.

‘‘What about the other interns?’’ April asked.

‘‘We can prank them, too.’’

‘‘No, I mean…’’

‘‘I know.’’ He then took her hand, the one that’d been doodling invisible circles on his abdomen, and squeezed it fondly. ‘‘You don’t have to talk to them, honey. Plus, Ben’s gonna be there.’’

‘‘Oh, thank goodness!’’ she said, sarcasm tinting every word.

Andy laughed in response.

‘‘You don’t have to go if you don’t want to, of course,’’ he added after another brief silence.

‘‘I know,’’ she sighed. ‘‘But that nerd is right. I might get something out of it, I guess. Plus, I know Leslie’s behind this.’’

‘‘Yeah. It’ll be super awkward when she finds out about Ben’s cheating, though.’’

‘‘I was joking, babe,’’ April laughed. ‘‘Don’t tell her that.’’

‘‘Oh. Then it’s okay.’’

 _It’s okay_. April let that phrase reverberate inside her brain, memorizing its tone, his voice, his confidence. She knew she would need it before long, when Andy’s heart wasn’t beating right under her ear, but miles away.


	53. Not Bad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by the awesomesauce lunabelles on Tumblr, the prompt being: ''this is bad, right?'' Hope this isn't too bad :)

‘‘This is bad, right?’’ Natalie asked her brother, holding a paint brush with some green on its tip.

‘‘It’s okay,’’ Jack half smiled at Nat’s painting. The whole family was there, Grumpy included, and they were standing in the backyard, all smiles. Well, at least, that’s what it seemed. ‘‘I mean, for a nine-year-old,’’ he mocked.

Nat huffed in desperation. ‘‘C’mon, Jack, you gotta help me! Or else, mom’s not going to like it.’’ Her voice broke at the end, and so did Jack’s teasing.

‘‘Okay, first of all, how is it gonna be _your_ present if I’m involved? Second, it’s not that bad, really.’’ The girl gave him an incredulous look. ‘‘You can always write her a song or something,’’ he shrugged.

‘‘I do that every year. I wanted to do something different this time.’’ Nat’s eyes were fixed on the painting as she spoke with a hint of fury that was definitely so unlike her, almost scary. Looking closely at her, Jack noticed some tears were gathering in her eyes, yet she dropped none.

‘‘Alright, look, the faces are fine. You could’ve done better with mine, but I’m so handsome that no painter could do me justice.’’ He was obviously joking, but it worked, because Natalie lifted her head at last and chuckled, elbowing his side. ‘‘You should untuck dad’s shirt, because if he’s at home, he wouldn’t bother. And, if the sun’s up here,’’ Jack slid one finger from the yellow circle in the corner to the group of people below, ‘‘then you should add some shadows there.’’

‘‘Like, this way?’’

‘‘Yes,’’ Jack nodded. ‘‘But, save for that, it’s great. She’ll love it, trust me.’’

His sister smiled wide, hope replacing every tear, and got to work on her gift for mother’s day.

* * *

After years of witnessing her son’s talent, what April had just unwrapped was definitely different. It sure wasn’t like one of Jack’s masterpieces, most of which hung on almost every wall of the house. But it was equally special, because each shape, each color, each nuance exuded love and happiness, and those were the two things April most wanted for her children.

Any expert would have pointed out its many flaws: the inconsistency of the coloring, the crooked lines, the imprecise perspective, and the fact that the sun was just not a flaming ball in the air. Even Jack had known that, but he wasn’t that much of a snob, and also who cared. To him, it was perfect the way it was.

April must have thought the same thing, because she didn’t seem to notice any of that. She looked past every imperfection, or just didn’t see any, more like. She just stared at it for a whole minute, awed by every detail.

‘‘What? Is it bad?’’ Nat asked, all her confidence suddenly gone.

April glanced at her daughter, her eyes glistening with adoration.

‘‘Bad? How could it be? Honey, this is the best gift I’ve ever received.’’

She then opened her arms, and the little girl ran towards them with no hesitation, a huge grin on her face.

‘‘Thank you, baby,’’ April said, kissing Nat’s blonde curls and hugging her tighter.

‘‘Jack was right,’’ her daughter muttered against her chest.

‘‘What was that?’’

‘‘Nothing. Love you, mom.’’


	54. Fine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested anonymously on Tumblr as ''you won't scare me away.'' Also, heavily inspired by the Start of Something Beautiful / Cut AU, by opti. If you haven't read it yet, leave this and go check that out.

Seen from the outside, it all looked the same. Another date with some girl, at the same place Andy had taken all his dates since he was in high school, because in case he wasn’t witty enough to win them over, at least those chicks would be pleased with the food. JJ’s Diner had always been a safe bet. He even lost his virginity in that restaurant’s bathroom, for crying out loud.

Yeah, the place was the same. But the person sitting across him in that old booth was definitely not some girl. She was _the_ girl. The girl he’d been chasing for months, the girl whose locked smile needed a key that only Andy had, the girl who was able to eat twice as much pizza as he could, the girl who was always willing to play a good prank, the girl that never seemed to think he was too dumb to function, the girl towards whom he’d acted like an asshole in the past, but that he couldn’t picture himself without anymore.

‘‘Babe, are you okay?’’ April asked from across the table, taking a sip of her milkshake.

‘‘What?’’ Andy came back to Earth. ‘‘Uh, yeah, I’m fine.’’

But his head was filling up with thoughts, and he started playing with the extra straw JJ always gave him. Andy wrapped it around his finger. The plastic bent like a snake against his skin, or like a cheap ring. It’d be so cool if everyone got married with milkshake straws instead of those posh wedding rings people always wore.

‘‘Andy? Seriously, what are you thinking?’’

‘‘What if we got married tomorrow?’’ he let out.

Andy had certainly answered to her question. His train of thought had led to that idea popping into his brain in the most natural way possible. It just made sense, didn’t it? It had nothing to do with marital properties – both of them were broke, and he didn’t even know what that was about,- nor even the fear of losing her. It was way simpler than that: he loved her, and he wanted to love her forever.

April snorted, but the joy didn’t reach her eyes.

‘‘You don’t know what you are getting yourself into,’’ she said, unfolding one napkin even though her lips were clean. ‘‘You wouldn’t ask me something like that if you knew.’’

‘‘Then tell me,’’ he said. April was like a 12+ jigsaw puzzle he never tired of solving. Except the pieces rearranged constantly. ‘‘It’s okay, you won’t scare me away,’’ he half smiled, trying to infuse some confidence into her.

‘‘Your milkshake is getting stale,’’ was all she answered.

‘‘Oh, okay,’’ he said, taking a sip. ‘‘God, JJ outdid himself with this one.’’

It wasn’t like he didn’t care, of course. But he knew her well enough to know when the subject needed to be changed. Then, Andy stared at the window, looking for some dumb citizen they could laugh at. That would always distract her.

‘‘Sometimes I get moody. I mean, real cranky, like you don’t even know,’’ April piped up after a while.

Andy glanced at her again, all ears.

‘‘Most times it’s due to the stupid people I’m forced to be around, but other times it comes out of nowhere, for no reason whatsoever.’’

‘‘That’s fi…’’ he began, but was quickly interrupted by April’s raised finger.

‘‘And I’m not just talking about being rude or something. Some days I’m just drained, and I could spend a whole day in bed. Longer, even.’’

‘‘I see no problem in that,’’ he laughed. Andy instantly covered his mouth with both hands, plenty aware of his mistake. Could he be more stupid? That was serious, he deeply cared for all the things she was confessing to him, and now it seemed like he was making a joke out of it.

But then, April laughed. It was a short kind of laugh, but genuine enough to reassure him. She seemed okay. More than that, she seemed happy.

‘‘I have happy days, too,’’ she said, as if reading his thoughts.

‘‘Like that day we rode your bike at full speed?’’

‘‘Uh huh,’’ she smiled again. ‘‘Or like when we went to Tom’s thing at the Snakehole.’’

‘‘But that’d be a happy night, right?’’

‘‘Yeah. One of many, lately.’’ April gave him a knowing look, which by this point he was able to decode easily.

‘‘It’s just… It’s not always like that, you know?’’

‘‘Yeah,’’ he said thoughtfully. ‘‘I’m totally cool with it, though. I’ll be there either way, as long as you want me to.’’

Andy scratched the back of his neck. The last thing he wanted was to make her uncomfortable. He was just being honest, as sincere as he’d never been. And that was another sign that proved that wasn’t just another date at JJ’s. Well, technically it was, but everything about it was different. She was different, cooler, better than anyone he’d ever come across. Where she saw damage, he saw nothing to be fixed. What she thought was unwanted was all he would ever love.

April stretched out one arm and grabbed his free hand. It seemed to him like a thank you, but wordless. The warped straw lay next to their intertwined fingers. She had already seen it, so the surprise factor was lost. He would have to come up with something better. But what?

Andy’s left hand went from his neck to those cargo pants he so loved. Fumbling in its many pockets, he only touched some chewed gum, the key to Burly’s house, a cool-shaped stone he’d found on the street and a… plastic wrapper? Andy took it out under the table. It was a Ring Pop he had stolen from his own shoe shine stand (that didn’t count as stealing, right?). The only plan he had in mind when he took it was to eat it. Now, well, he felt like a genius.

Still holding April’s hand, he unwrapped the thing with the other down there, not without some difficulties.

‘‘Dude, are you jerking off?’’ April asked, amused by the idea.

‘‘No… Damn it,’’ he protested. ‘‘Finally!’’

Andy showed her the candy ring at last.

‘‘As you can see, I wanna do this properly,’’ he said, earnestly. ‘‘April Ludgate. Will you marry me?’’

April remained calm, but the smile she was desperately trying to hide was so obvious Andy almost lost his own composure. She then took the ring from his hand and put it on herself.

‘‘Fine,’’ she deadpanned as best as she could.

In the blink of an eye, April had jumped over the table, landing on Andy’s lap. She kissed him hard, letting go of all her feigned restraint. He responded passionately. Andy had never kissed anyone else this way, he’d never felt this way, and pretty sure he’d never been engaged before.

No, she wasn’t just some chick. She was April Ludgate, the girl… The woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.


	55. Cold Mornings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested anonymously on Tumblr as ''why are you stealing my clothes?'' :)

Sometimes, it got really cold in Pawnee. Especially on those January mornings, when the snow gathered on the rooftops and every road became a dangerous rink. Even Andy, who was basically a human radiator, ended up being a victim of winter’s harshest days.

The biting wind hit April’s window so hard, waking Andy at some unusual hour. Or maybe it was the fact that there was no one beside him when he stretched his arm to hug… nothing. That ultimately forced him to open his eyes.

What he saw was definitely not Burly’s spare room. It wasn’t that shoddy futon he was lying on, but April’s mattress. Then, he remembered. Her parents had spent the previous night out, and April had suggested they’d crash on her couch and watch TV. Except Andy couldn’t recall the least bit of what had been on.

Even so, what happened afterwards came in flashes to his memory as he gained consciousness, making him smile like an idiot against April’s pillow. By the way, where was she? Maybe downstairs.

Andy got out of bed, only to realize his boxers were the only piece of clothing he had on. It also became so very clear that it was freezing. Andy’s body temperature was ridiculously high, or hot, as he preferred to see it, but not even that was enough. He needed to put some clothes on, ASAP. But his sweatpants were nowhere to be found in that room, and neither was his maroon hoodie.

‘‘Dang it… Pretty sure I had those on last night,’’ he spoke to himself, though far from being positive.

Andy looked around the room, and a light bulb turned on inside his brain when he saw his girlfriend’s wardrobe. April’s shirts were obviously too small for him – though he did try to put one of them on just to make sure. Her skirts could only be used as scarves, and when Andy attempted to slip into her jeans, they got stuck around his thighs. Eventually, he understood that was a lost cause.

After placing back all those tiny clothes, Andy took the bed’s comforter and wore it like a tunic. He then went down the stairs, padding carefully lest he woke someone in the house. Honestly, the last thing he needed was to be almost naked in front of Mr. Ludgate.

He found April on the couch, her legs folded in order to keep herself as warm as possible. She was eating cereal from a bowl. The TV was off, though. April was just staring at the window, where the first snowflakes of that day swirled with the wind. And, of course, she was wearing the clothes he’d missed before.

‘‘Couldn’t sleep?’’ he asked while approaching her.

April turned her head to look at him. Her formerly pensive expression turned quickly into a burst of laughter she poorly muffled against her forearm. Andy sat beside her, still covered with that purple quilt.

‘‘You look ridiculous,’’ she said, kissing Andy’s cheek.

‘‘Why are you stealing my clothes?’’

‘‘It’s cold,’’ she shrugged.

‘‘Well, I’m gonna need some clothes, too.’’

Andy wasn’t angry, just worried. He probably didn’t have much time before the rest of her family woke up.

‘‘Before you say anything, your clothes won’t do. Trust me.’’

‘‘I believe you,’’ she rolled her eyes.

‘‘You think your sister’s will fit?’’

‘‘Totally.’’

‘‘I should try them on, then. I mean, what if your parents…’’

‘‘They’re not here. I told you, sometimes they take gross weekends out of town. It’s just us.’’

Yeah, she might have mentioned that. Andy’s mind had been just too busy, or distracted, to remember.

‘‘Oh, thank God,’’ he sighed in relief.

‘‘C’mon, let’s see how Natalie’s clothes look on you. You don’t wanna get a cold, do you?’’

And just like that, she dragged him upstairs.


	56. Feels Like Home Again

Lame. There was no better adjective to describe every house Donna had suggested as their new home in Washington. They were all the same: suburban properties, most likely at the end of some cul-de-sac, nice front lawn, more bathrooms than the two of them would ever need, and as plain as the surrounding neighborhood. Just when April thought they had overcome the hardest part – that is, her finding a meaningful job at last – the real estate nightmare came along the way. Great.

It was getting ridiculous at this point, and even Donna was becoming desperate. She had spent weeks trying to find them the perfect home, though in vain. Maybe April would follow her plan B after all, and end up living under a bridge. As for Andy, he was convinced that all the pictures Donna had shown them belonged to the same house, since he was clearly unable to tell those similar places apart.

‘‘You ain’t gonna find what you’re looking for, Ms. Fussy,’’ Donna said, closing the laptop on the coffee table, which was more often used as a footrest. Except for the times they had visits like this one, when actual coffee was served. ‘‘Either you settle for one of these, or you and your boy will wind up living in some run down motel.’’

‘‘Sounds good. Why don’t you find me one? The creepier, the better,’’ April deadpanned, though no amount of sarcasm was enough to cover her defeat. She couldn’t believe moving, of all things, was the one getting in the way. For once, she was willing to figure out what she really wanted. And, if she’d had the guts to quit the same job she’d had since… ever, if she had finally gathered the courage to fight for a better life, she definitely wasn’t going to resign herself to some nondescript home in Boringland.

‘‘You know, I’ve learned a bunch of stuff from all these years working in the business, one of them being that houses are like people,’’ Donna piped up right before taking a sip from her mug.

‘‘Stupid?’’

‘‘No,’’ Donna rolled her eyes. ‘‘What’s important about them is on the inside.’’

‘‘What about your sexy firemen lovers? Did you guys have deep conversations?’’

‘‘Sexy firemen are not people. They’re sexy firemen.’’ Both women exchanged amused looks. ‘‘Plus, I’m with Joe now.’’

‘‘Yeah, whatever.’’

‘‘The point is, you’re focusing on the wrong things. You don’t have to keep all the furniture. Rent a truck and bring your own, paint, do whatever it takes to feel at home. Just ignore what the houses look like in these pictures.’’ Donna pointed at the computer in front of them.

April considered Donna’s words for a moment, looking at the ceiling as she mulled it over. Then, she opened the laptop again.

* * *

_Two months later._

Tonight’s movie was Andy’s choice. April would probably be paying more attention to it if the guys on the screen did something more than fighting each other using martial arts only. But since no blood is gushing from the actors’ bodies, her mind starts giving free passes to all kinds of thoughts. Now, lying across Andy’s torso, said thoughts can only be benign. And now, she understands that Donna was right.

Yes, they ended up buying one of those suburban houses D.C. had to offer, although in a more distant neighborhood from the ones Donna had initially put on the table. This one was considerably less snobby, and definitely more private. The facade resembled the uniform look of the ones around, so no passerby could possibly imagine the oddities inside.

First, there were all the decorations April had refused to leave behind, such as the rubber skeleton, fake spider webs and the other Halloween items the couple kept around the house and hanging on the walls, from January to Christmas. The striped blanket they had had since Burly found his own place was still a faithful witness of most of Andy and April’s cuddling sessions. And those novelty cookie cutters Andy bought by accident were the best part of breakfast. Well, the second best part.

The two spare rooms were soon put to good use. One of them was turned by April into a room of distorting mirrors. Even the door was covered with a curved one so that, when closed, it left no clear exit for the person trapped inside. April was very proud of that one.

The other room became Andy’s music room. One day, he had an impulsive momentum that led him to buy lots of musical instruments, some of which he couldn’t even play, but he was determined to learn in the near future. Old Mouse Rat posters hung on the walls, along with several pictures of the Unity Concert, and even some others from those nights the two of them used to hang out with Ben just so he would be the designated driver.

Sure there wasn’t a fire pole in this new house, but Andy had tried very hard to make up for it. After his failed attempt to go down the stairs way faster by using a skateboard, he created another sliding device. With just some nails and a hammer (and ignoring all advices from Ron), he attached a metal sheet to the lower portion of the house’s rooftop. Thus, he built their own slide, one that ended just above the small pool in the backyard and guaranteed the coolest dive possible.

Lame? None of this is lame, not even the action movie they are watching tonight. Well, maybe a little bit, but anyway. Now, as Andy idly strokes her hair and laughs whenever the good guys kick everyone’s asses, there’s no such thing as lame.


	57. Trust

‘‘Hey, April!’’ Eduardo called from the other side of the pool. ‘‘Mira esto!’’ He said before diving into the water with a perfect somersault. April wished he had knocked his head against the coping and got his brain damaged. But then she remembered he had none.

Her phone buzzed on the sunlounger, almost tickling her calf. But it had the opposite effect to any sort of laughter. April buried the device deep inside her pool bag, hoping not to even hear it if another call came in. Which surely would, because that stalker had been trying to reach her nonstop for the past three weeks. Not that she expected the shoeshine guy would take a hint, but at this point the fact that she wanted nothing to do with him was beyond obvious.

She took another sip from her wineglass. The bottle seemed expensive; not a surprise considering the huge mansion Eduardo lived in. April closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as that moron tried to impress her with his front crawl. God, seemingly there weren’t any guys with at least half a neuron left.

The killing part was that she thought she had found one. Not the smart kind -who cared about engineers, anyway?- but the kind she knew she would never find anywhere else. For once, just for once, her ever-present frown was no longer there when she looked in the mirror. Her skin was less sallow. She almost liked the refection, even. Almost.

But there was more to her new self than met the eye. The biggest change went unnoticed at first, probably due to its gradual nature. As days went on, she’d felt lighter and lighter. Whatever had been oppressing her chest waned with every dark coffee at the shoeshine stand, as if the brew could repair more than a night of poor sleep. The alarm clock was probably the most useless object in her room, yet she used to dread the moment those numbers would tell her it was time to leave the bed and go to work. And then, at some point, she found herself entering City Hall early.

Time dragged on as April played solitaire by her desk, but lunch breaks made it worth the waiting. Had she been asked, she wouldn’t have been able to explain why. Maybe because her rusty jaw clicked whenever she couldn’t help but smile. Maybe because making fun of Kyle was so satisfying. Maybe because, for the first time in 21 years, she wasn’t alone.

But the problem was that there was more to Andy –April’s stomach twisted as his name crossed her mind- than just having fun. There was something in his eyes, too, that showed he understood what she was often unable to verbalize. The way he looked at her lacked all the sympathy that always made her incredibly uncomfortable. Andy’s eyes showed nothing but the purest desire to know her better, and their brightness proved he liked every new thing he learned about her.

No, it wasn’t a sharp intelligence that made him unique. It was a harmless innocence, unattainable for the average mortal. Something she wouldn’t find in Venezuela, nor probably the rest of the world. Something she had desperately needed, without even knowing it. The only soul that could possibly fit with hers, given her own quirks and many flaws. The only definition of happiness she’d ever known. And, of course, too perfect to be real.

Speaking of flaws, here came her worst one: trust. A deadly trait she should have staved off since day one, since that stupid song he made up while waiting for the State Office to answer reached her ears. April trusted him, even though she already knew first hand she should trust no one. Next thing she knows, that dog is making out with Ann the Skank.

April’s revenge was already planned, though. And, once she'd got back at him, she would send her fake boyfriend back to where he came from. After that, she’d be as cold as the cold itself. Unreachable. She would make the word _trust_ lose its meaning.

But, for now, she was just going to enjoy the best wine she had ever tasted.


	58. The Lucky One

Beams of consciousness and from the sun go through the worn out curtains covering the windows of Ron’s cabin. Andy feels blessed as soon as he understands they have yet another sunny day ahead. And then, when a fast asleep April mumbles his name, still caught in some dream, the bliss in Andy’s chest has nothing to do with the weather.

Every day, every morning he gets to wake up beside her, he realizes how lucky he is. Not that he ever forgets, not that he ever takes anything for granted, but still she always finds a way to fill him with joy without even trying. From the little, everyday things to the crazy ideas they both come up with every so often, like getting a divorce only so they can remarry. After all, how many wives would have agreed? How many couples can brag about their second honeymoon? Gosh, he is just so lucky.

Another thing he has to thank her for is this awesome place in the woods they now own. The inside has everything April likes: silence, simplicity, spider webs and privacy. She couldn’t have picked a better shelter for them to get away from everyone and everything. As for Andy, the surrounding forest is any explorer’s dream come true, and wide enough so he and Champion can run around for hours.

* * *

‘‘Ugh, we’ve been walking for hours,’’ April complained as they traversed a sea of trees. ‘‘My feet hurt.’’

‘‘We’re almost there, hon.’’ Andy grabbed her by the hips and lifted her a bit so she could reach the top of a high rock. ‘‘Champion and I found it yesterday. Totally random.’’

‘‘And you remember where it is?’’ she asked, skeptically.

‘‘Yeah. I used to play in the woods with my brothers all the time when I was a kid. You need to keep an eye on the details if you don’t wanna get lost. Like a broken branch or a spotted rock.’’ His wife was looking at him as if all that was rocket science. Not confused but… impressed. ‘‘There’s no way I can read a map, so…’’ he shrugged.

About ten minutes later, the woods began to look less and less dim. It got less quiet, too, as a bubbling noise denoted that some form of water flowed nearby.

‘‘I don’t like this,’’ April grumped as they glimpsed the last line of trees ahead.

‘‘It’s worth a try,’’ he laughed.

Andy pushed aside the brambles that led to the clearing and let her step out first. The thorns scratched his skin when he let go of it, but Andy ignored it, way more intrigued by April’s reaction.

The land ended just a few feet before them, resulting in a cliff high enough to make its edge look quite intimidating, to say the least. After being to the Grand Canyon, the beautiful scenery they found elsewhere didn’t do much for them. Yet, there was something so cool about this spot, Andy thought. Maybe it was how the sun reflected on the surface of that crystalline water, or maybe it was because it reminded him of that Rambo movie where those missionaries went upriver. Even April seemed to be taking in all the place’s beauty. Though it should have been the other way around.

‘‘Okay, let’s do this,’’ Andy said, taking his shirt off in one quick move and slipping out of his cargo pants.

‘‘Dude… Here?’’ April’s foot played with the sharp stones on the ground. ‘‘I think the cabin would be a better call.’’

‘‘Babe,’’ he laughed as if she was missing something obvious. ‘‘There’s no river in the cabin.’’

Once barefoot, Andy began to walk towards the end of the cliff.

‘‘Andy, what are you doing?’’ April asked right before knowing the answer. ‘‘Babe, you can’t jump from there.’’ Andy turned his head only to give her a confident smirk, but he didn’t stop. ‘‘Seriously, you’ll hurt yourself,’’ she added, this time more concerned he wasn’t just bluffing. As Andy kept approaching the edge, he made it clear he wasn’t. ‘‘Dude! Step back! This isn’t funny!’’

Ignoring her own fear, April stepped forward and stretched out an arm to grab his, but it was too late. Andy had jumped before her eyes, whooping as he dove into the water bellow, and disappearing in its depths. His head emerged first, followed by a waving hand that greeted her with nothing but excitement.

‘‘C’mon, babe! It’s your turn!’’

April’s negative became clear when she sat on the ground with her arms crossed.

‘‘In your dreams!’’ she shouted.

* * *

Even after more than three years of marriage, Andy still can’t get over April saying his name out loud while she dreams. At this point, he knows when she’s having a nightmare, and when her dreams are just that, harmless. She hasn’t had any of the former during this second honeymoon they’re having, and the thought makes Andy smile wide. He hugs her from behind and she lets out a sleepy moan, one that reminds him again how lucky he is. He’s got the best wife in the world. And the bravest.

* * *

‘‘I thought you braver,’’ Andy teased her when he got back to the jumping point, where April awaited.

‘‘And I thought you weren’t suicidal,’’ she bit back. ‘‘Don’t do that to me again. Shit, you could have…’’

‘‘I knew it was safe, babe. We made sure of it yesterday.’’

‘‘We?’’

‘‘Oh, Champion loved it.’’

April rolled her eyes as Andy sat beside her. She wrapped her arms around his wet torso, not caring for her own clothes getting damped. Her husband, safe and alive, responded fondly to her embrace.

‘‘Sure you don’t wanna try? I could give you a piggyback so we do it together.’’

* * *

Together. Doing it. Doing everything. Making each other braver, better. Luckier.


	59. A Hell of an Agent

Almost an hour had passed since they found Joey, lost and alone, roaming around that giant maze also known as City Hall. The boy kept a firm grip on Andy’s hand as they walked down the halls, but his mother was nowhere to be found. And, honestly, April was starting to get nervous. They couldn’t take that kid to security because they _were_ security. Well, at least Andy was. But he didn’t know the building any better.

Suddenly, Joey stopped. He buried his face in both hands, but the following sniff gave him away.

‘‘Hey…’’ April said as she bent down in front of him, awkwardly stroking his hair. ‘‘It’s okay.’’

‘‘We’re never gonna find her,’’ Joey whined.

Andy lifted the boy, with great care but no effort, and sat him on the nearest bench.

‘‘Of course we’ll find her, buddy,’’ Andy assured him. ‘‘Unless, of course, she’s on the fourth floor.’’

‘‘What’s on the fourth floor?’’

‘‘Oh, it’s the creepiest part of City Hall. Some people never come back,’’ Andy explained.

April smacked her husband’s shoulder, but the damage was already done. Joey’s face fell right before he went back to sobbing inconsolably.

‘‘But that’s not a problem for us, you know?’’ April knelt again so she could look him in the eye. ‘‘Do you happen to know who we are?’’

Joey shook his head, wiping away the tears on his cheek.

‘‘Well, I’m Judy Hitler, and…’’

‘‘And I’m Burt Macklin, FBI,’’ Andy interrupted.

‘‘But he also goes by Andy,’’ she added. The whole Macklin vibe didn’t seem to be helping much, after all. ‘‘The thing is, my father was the worst villain in history. At some point, he became the most wanted guy on Earth, and so he had to find a place to hide. He was a hiding expert, and taught me everything he knew. Now, I use that in my favor.’’

‘‘How?’’ the boy and the man asked simultaneously.

‘‘Easy. I know every hiding spot here, so there’s nothing I can’t find.’’

The truth was April had no idea how to find that woman. But the story was apparently working given Joey’s first smile ever since they found him.

‘‘Also, I’m a future cop, so…’’ Andy helped out.

‘‘I thought you were already in the FBI.’’ The kid seemed confused.

‘‘I am. First you get in the FBI, then you become a cop. That’s how it’s done,’’ Andy explained, as if he actually believed his own words. Maybe he did. ‘‘Point is, I’m super good at investigations. Like, finding clues, working out the motive, that kind of stuff.’’

‘‘The motive?’’

‘‘Yeah, like, the reasons why the murd…’’

‘‘Shh!’’ April stopped him. The last thing they wanted was Joey thinking of murders while his mother was still missing. And then, something dawned on her.

‘‘What? Am I wrong?’’ Andy kept talking. ‘‘I mean, there’s always a purpose behind…’’

‘‘Exactly!’’ April exclaimed. ‘‘The woman, she must have come here for something, right? Joey, you know why your mother came to City Hall in the first place?’’

‘‘Hmm… I think it had something to do with that store she wants to open. It’s a clothing store.’’

‘‘Then that’s it!’’ She turned to Andy, who seemed as excited as her.

‘‘Of course! How did I not think of that?’’ Andy said. ‘‘She was looking for a place where she could buy some clothes for her store, but got lost and ended up in City Hall!’’

‘‘What?’’ she frowned at her clueless husband. ‘‘No, Andy. She came here to get a business license.’’

Both Andy and Joey gave her a blank stare, equally oblivious of her epiphany.

‘‘Those are given on the third floor! That’s where she is!’’

Joey’s relief was instant, and a wide grin grew from ear to ear on his face. As for Andy, he was clearly shocked and amazed by his wife’s wit. Knowing so, April avoided meeting his gaze and focused on the child instead.

‘‘You two are the best secret agents ever!’’

‘‘We are, indeed.’’ Andy finally managed to look away from the woman beside him. ‘‘Now let’s go find your mom, okay?’’ He then turned around, still in a squat position, and gave the boy his back. ‘‘C’mon, I’ll give you a piggyback so we go faster.’’

With a chuckle, Joey got onboard and the three of them went on to complete their mission.


	60. Unlike Most People

Yes, he’d told her he loved her. And April, for the first time in her life and against all odds, had managed to reciprocate. To be perfectly honest, this more reckless version of herself wasn’t totally annoying. She found herself taking the kind of risks that usually ruined people’s lives in the stupidest ways, like wearing their hearts on their sleeves, putting too much of themselves into others, and trusting those who excelled at betrayal.

She thought she knew better. That is, until Andy came along. Then, she did all of that, she took the bait and erred just like everyone else. Now, sat on her room’s floor by the phone, she felt like an idiot. For the fourth time that week, he wasn’t likely to call any time soon, and she wasn’t desperate enough to dial his number. Even if she did, Andy would probably come up with another dumb excuse so he didn’t have to hang out with her. He’d tired of her already, and it hadn’t even been a month since they started dating. Another record for you, Ludgate.

But April wasn’t going to be the one breaking up with him. She wanted him to admit it, to say how boring he found her to her face. Apparently, he was too much of a gutless chicken to be that honest. All she got were excuses.

Like that Monday evening her parents were out, and he picked band practice over an entire house all to themselves. Or just the day before, when he declined to egg Sewage Joe’s house because he had to buy gas.

‘‘You don’t even have a car,’’ April had told him.

‘‘Uh… Yeah, I know. It’s for the… oven.’’ And then he’d given her a quick peck before rushing down City Hall’s main hallway.

Something was off. Maybe she wasn’t desperate enough to call, but Andy’s behavior was driving her up the wall. The wall of those who fell for that stupid game and paid the price.

* * *

‘‘So, this is what you’ve been doing?’’ April asked, nestling closer in Andy’s arms. Actually, camping wasn’t the worst if one had the proper tent. Or maybe it wasn’t about the tent at all.

‘‘Yeah. Took me a while to gather all these things.’’

‘‘Where did you get those petals?’’ Despite being the cheesiest thing she’d ever seen, April knew there was some effort behind, and that counted for something.

‘‘I stole them from Jerry’s front yard, one by one. The guy’s got a cool garden,’’ he laughed.

‘‘Ew, you should have called me for that!’’

‘‘Then it wouldn’t have been a surprise,’’ he shrugged, kissing the top of her head.

‘‘I don’t like surprises. I thought…’’

It all seemed stupid now. Nonetheless, the feeling of not being wanted anymore had struck her in ways she never thought possible, in ways she didn’t want to think about, ever.

‘‘What?’’ he asked, curious.

‘‘I thought you’d grown bored of me or something,’’ April admitted, burying her face in Andy’s chest. She felt it move against her forehead when he laughed in response.

‘‘What? That’s ridiculous. Why would you think so?’’

‘‘I don’t know. You never wanted to hang out, and I’m not exactly the funniest person to be around.’’

‘‘But I was just getting this stuff!’’

‘‘I know that now, duh!’’

Andy chuckled again, and this time April’s quiet laughter joined his. It felt so good, so right. It felt like all the risks were worth taking.

With one finger under her chin, Andy lifted her head so they could look into each other’s eyes. For a moment, all April could see was green; a darker shade given the scarce light coming from outside the tent. There was a slight glow in Andy’s eyes, one that she’d learned to recognize as pure excitement. They showed something else, though, something way more unusual in him. It was a spark of earnestness April had only seen once before. Namely, that night at the Harvest Festival when those three words changed everything.

‘‘You know you _are_ the coolest person to be around, right?’’

‘‘Shut up,’’ she answered, kissing him to make sure he did.

Andy followed suit, but broke apart after a few seconds. April complained with a groan, but he stopped her when she tried to kiss him again.

‘‘Seriously, babe. There’s no way I can get tired of you.’’

They exchanged looks again, and April lost herself in that green sea where lies had never existed. She knew better than most people, but she also knew him well enough to let his words comfort her.

‘‘Are you done?’’ She smirked, playing with Andy’s curls at the back of his head.

‘‘Not with you,’’ he said, almost too proud of his own wit.

Then, he kissed her again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a timeline goof here that deviates from canon, but it's gonna stay that way :P


	61. A Game Is The Foot

It sure was a cold night out there, but that wasn’t something one could tell when wrapped in Andy Dwyer’s arms. April could feel his warm breath on the back of her neck as he snored softly. Any other night, she would have let that sound hum her to sleep. Any other night, she wouldn’t have been staring anxiously at the window, waiting for some other man. A man who was supposed to be there already, given it was well past midnight and what she had in mind would take them some time.

After another twenty minutes that felt like ages, a dark shadow appeared at the other side of the pane. It stood there, as still as a marble statue. April knew he wouldn’t knock –not that the noise would have woken her husband, but it just wasn’t the visitor’s style,- just like he knew there was no need to. Despite all the coziness, she couldn’t afford to fall asleep. She had big plans for that night.

But all her plans seemed truncated the moment she tried to get out of bed. Andy’s grip got tighter over her side; a move that, though gentle, could only be deliberate. He was awake, and she couldn’t wait for him to fall back asleep. Her time was running out. With a heavy sigh, April turned around in his arms. Much to her surprise, Andy’s eyes were still closed, his mouth ajar as the snores resumed.

Even in the room’s semi-darkness, Andy’s childish features irradiated the kind of peace that could only be found in dreams. He almost seemed vulnerable, which made it harder for April to focus on her mission after the man outside grunted impatiently. Cautiously, she managed to slip out of Andy’s embrace, placing one pillow where her body had been.

April got dressed as quickly as possible without making any sound. Then, she went to their front lawn, grabbed the hand of that mysterious man and dragged him down the street. Who would have thought that frozen figure could run so fast?

* * *

Reading on the couch seemed like a good way to wait for Andy to come home after work. That is, until the printed sentences started to blend into one another, making the text fuzzy and illegible. After the previous sleepless night, she should have known better. She rested her head on the cushion as her eyelids gave in… and opened abruptly with the sound of the front door opening.

‘‘Baaaaabe, I’m home!’’

Champion struggled out of his bed and limped towards Andy, who bent down to pet him with equal excitement.

‘‘Someone worked overtime today, huh?’’ April joked. Andy wasn’t usually this late, but she seriously doubted it had anything to do with Leslie’s demands. Mostly because both women had spent the day getting back at Jamm in his own front yard.

‘‘Nope, even better,’’ Andy said, joining her on the couch and bringing April’s feet to his lap. ‘‘I led a full-scale investigation,’’ he added proudly.

‘‘Really? How’s that?’’ She encouraged him, though plenty aware of the answer.

‘‘A couple of computers disappeared overnight. One of them was mine. At first I thought I was just being tested, you know, for the police academy exams. Turns out, they were stolen for real!’’

‘‘Wow,’’ April’s eyes widened in feigned surprise. ‘‘And d’you catch the robber?’’

‘‘Not yet. I’m still working on it. Oh, and Chris offered me a job as City Hall’s cop.’’ Andy’s smile barely fit on his face.

‘‘You mean security guard?’’

‘‘Yeah, that’s another name for it.’’

‘‘That’s awesome.’’ April changed her position, leaning forward for a kiss. ‘‘You know, I think Macklin could crack this case in no time,’’ she said when their lips took a break. ‘‘Why don’t you go get your FBI jacket?’’

‘‘Great idea, babe!’’

Andy ran to their bedroom’s wardrobe. By now April couldn’t see him, but he reacted as expected.

‘‘What? Why…? April, I found my computer! It’s right here!’’

April went to where he was, not able to keep a straight face.

‘‘Look!’’ Andy said, pointing inside the wardrobe. ‘‘Oh, my God, the robber’s been here. He knows who we are,’’ he mumbled with a shocked, worried look on his face. ‘‘We need to lock the doors. No, leave the country.’’

‘‘Shh, Andy,’’ April grabbed him by his sides, trying to keep him still. ‘‘It was me.’’

‘‘What?’’ he scowled.

‘‘I stole the computers, okay?’’

‘‘Why?’’

‘‘Well… I thought you could use some practice. You were right about that, it was just a test. That you aced, by the way,’’ April smiled.

Andy looked at her in awe. Part of his brain was still processing what his wife had done, part of it itched with the unresolved questions that kept him from kissing her again.

‘‘Wait a minute. Hmm… Two computers were missing, right?’’ Smoke wasn’t leaving his head, but was probably about to. ‘‘Where’s the other one?’’

‘‘Oh, Orin helped me with the whole thing and kept the other one for himself,’’ she shrugged. ‘‘His broke down, he has no job, and he can’t afford to buy another one, so if you could…’’

‘‘His mom is still working her ass off at that…’’

‘‘Yes.’’

‘‘Don’t worry, I won’t tell Chris.’’

‘‘Thanks,’’ she stepped into Andy's open arms and wished that hug never ended.

‘‘Plus, what matters is I solved the case,’’ he laughed.

With her head against his chest, April let her eyes close again. She definitely needed some sleep.


	62. Cookie Monster

Over the course of April’s life, the only consistent thing had been inconsistency. She was aimless until she found a purpose. She was broke before her résumé could say more than just _leech breeding_. She felt like a misfit in her family until she met her own. She didn’t know she wanted to add new members to it until she did. And she didn’t know baking could be this fun until she tried it with them.

‘‘This is so fun!’’ said Natalie, as if reading her thoughts.

‘‘You’re making them too small,’’ Jack told his sister as they shaped the dough into balls.

‘‘Actually, you shouldn’t make them that big, sweetie,’’ his mother warned him. ‘‘Leavening will make them grow in the oven.’’

Nat stuck her tongue out at her brother; the latter just rolled his eyes in response. Once the balls were ready, the three of them proceeded to flatten the dough, placing each on the tray as they were finished.

‘‘What’s next, mom?’’ asked the little girl.

‘‘Now it’s time to add some chocolate cream. Can you get it from the fridge, Jack?’’

The boy obliged, but let out a heavy sigh before putting the empty can on the counter.

‘‘Dad ate it all again.’’

‘‘Oooh, is someone talking about me?’’ Andy’s voice came from the hall as he made his way to the kitchen.

‘‘Did you eat all the chocolate cream, daddy?’’ Nat asked when he got there.

‘‘No. Why would I… I mean, that’s disgusting. No, uh… it totally wasn’t me.’’

‘‘Dad?’’ Jack insisted, earnestly.

‘‘Okay, I ate it!’’

‘‘You know what to do,’’ April told her children.

With a wicked smile on their faces, Jack and Natalie ran towards their father, throwing themselves at him with a war cry. The big man let himself be knocked down, and soon the shouts became laughs, blending together but still distinguishable from one another.

‘‘Wait, what’s this?’’ Andy asked, wiping a brownish blob from his cheek.

‘‘Cookie dough,’’ Nat laughed.

The kids’ hands were still covered with the mixture, and so was Andy’s beard now.

‘‘You really shouldn’t have done this,’’ Andy’s expression grew serious, but his words were shortly followed by a fake, evil laugh. ‘‘You made a terrible mistake, because I’m the Cookie Monster!’’

He retaliated with a tickle attack that brought the two kids to the floor, still laughing uncontrollably. Andy gave them a break after a while, when their faces turned red. He then stood up and walked to the counter.

‘‘You are so busted, Dwyer,’’ April scolded him with a spatula in her hand.

‘‘In my defense, I’ll say that we still have Skittles.’’

April pondered it for a moment, as he grabbed her by the waist.

‘‘Hmm… I think you are off the hook,’’ she said, tiptoeing for a kiss.

Yes, change was always around the corner. But there were some amazing constants in her life that would always remain the same, no matter what.


	63. Wonder

Dressing up as Chuck Liddell was a pretty big deal. At least for Andy, because that guy was a hero. More than a hero: he was a legend. Andy wanted to do that wrestler justice, so everything needed to be perfect. Cool leather gloves? Check. Wrestling shorts? Check. A semi-bald cap? Check. There was just one thing left: the kempo tattoo.

At first, it’d seemed impossible. On the first try, Andy’s lousy drawing ended up in the right position from his perspective, but it was upside down for any other person who might look at it. Then, Andy figured he’d use a mirror to get a better idea of how others would see it. Turns out, directions are reversed when reflected.

He was just about to give up when April walked into the bathroom to finish her makeup. She helped Andy wash out his upper arm (although not before getting a good laugh out of it), and picked one of her eyeliners to draw it herself.

April was awesome at this, as she was at everything else. Drawing was her thing, and he felt so stupid for not having asked her in the first place. Andy observed quietly as his wife worked on a perfect Liddell’s tattoo lookalike. Each drawn line almost tickled him, while April’s cold fingers triggered a warm response under his own skin, such was the balance between them.

Andy wondered if he’d break her focus should he kiss her right then.

* * *

April didn’t know what _kempo_ meant exactly. She didn’t really care, either. But she would remind Andy how ridiculous the word looked on his first attempts for the rest of their lives. Now, it was better. Readable, at least.

April’s hand danced up and down as she copied that photo Andy had shown her on his cell phone. In order to get a better result, she pretended no one would ever see it, as it happened with those weird things she drew on the office’s pads. Except Andy’s arm was nothing like her notebooks. It was soft, and incredibly hot as always. And, as April grabbed it with her left hand, she noticed the muscles underneath. Despite being no stranger to them, she wondered at those every time.

April stopped tracing for a moment, trying her best to stay focused on the task. She lifted her head, only to see he was looking at her. Andy’s gaze wasn’t fixed on the fake tattoo, but on her. He was giving her that look of adoration she still felt weird about, as if nothing else mattered, not the drawing, not the costume, not even Halloween. Just her.

And then, she couldn’t help but lean in.


	64. Grocery Walkout

There were probably a million ways to spend that cold, though incredibly sunny morning. They could have hung out with Champion at Ramsett Park, played video games until their bloodshot eyes started to hurt, or just been under the sheets and not answer the door unless it was some delivery guy with a box of pizza. Instead, they were grocery shopping at Food and Stuff, which according to April ranked fourth on the list of the most boring things to do. But that’s what you get when you don’t buy supplies for more than two weeks: an empty refrigerator and a strange yearn for something that isn’t cheese.

Despite being mature enough not to buy half of the as-seen-on-TV items, the couple waited patiently for those ditzy customers to step on the slippery samples they’d purposely dropped on the floor. Also, all books in the best seller section had somehow been replaced by porn novels by the time Andy and April left the checkout. Okay, maybe getting groceries wasn’t exactly the worst after all.

April jumped inside the shopping cart as soon as they reached the parking lot; her feet were kind of sore after an entire morning of walking. Andy pulled from behind, jogging at first, and then faster and faster as April’s hair fluttered against the cold breeze. The sun’s heat was an odd factor in the mix, and its warm beams reddened the inside of her eyelids when she closed her eyes. April smiled in peace, her arms outstretched, almost trying to take flight. And, just when she felt she was about to, Andy’s laugh became just a panting chuckle as he lowered their pace. April opened her eyes. They’d gotten to where the car was parked.

‘‘Babe, that was awesome,’’ she said.

‘‘I know. I’m super fast,’’ Andy scooped April up to help her out of the cart.

Once everything was put inside the trunk, Andy grabbed the cart again to take it back. But then, something caught his eye. The road bordering the lot by its left side was pretty steep, and that gave him an idea.

‘‘Andy, no,’’ April warned him, reading his intentions.

‘‘I’m just gonna try one thing.’’

Andy gave her a quick peck on the lips before running towards the slope, taking the cart with him. Of course he went down, whooping with the kind of freedom only speed can endow us with. Of course it all ended in an ugly fall. And of course April couldn’t believe their luck when she approached there and saw him resting in a bed of bushes, laughing uncontrollably.

‘‘Dude, that wasn’t funny. Don’t ever do it again.’’

April held out a hand to help him up, but he made no effort whatsoever. Instead, Andy tugged her against him and she fell upon his torso. April didn’t even have time to smack him. The truth is, she forgot about it the moment he kissed her.


	65. Promise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 7x04 + flashback.

Since Ron had locked himself in his former office again, there was only so much Leslie could do to worm the truth out of the stubborn man. Despite all those new devices that had turned actual writing into an old school habit, the whiteboard they used to have in the conference room was still there. It came in handy when she decided to draw a concept map that would help her figure out why Ron really quit. But, by the time she finished it, she was just as clueless.

Leslie collapsed in the chair. If surrendering could ever be an option, she was pretty damn close. But she wasn’t the type of person who gave up on her friends, especially when they needed her the most. And this time, she would have to work harder. Ron could be quite obtuse sometimes, always stuck like glue to his values, always extremely private. Leslie wondered how they even became friends to begin with… Aha! Maybe the answer was there!

Hurriedly, she rummaged in the many drawers, searching for her job application. One would have thought all those documents had already been digitized and thrown away. Apparently, the new people at the Parks Department had more important things to do, or did nothing at all. Anyway, after several minutes of fruitless search, she finally found what she was looking for.

Before getting to her own, Leslie took some time to read the applications of her former partners. Tom claimed he would add some class to the office with his dope suits. Donna’s just said: _Words can’t describe me. If you really wanna know me, let’s have a freaking interview_. As for Garry, he wrote fifty pages of the things he expected to achieve during his career. Pages that probably no one ever read till Leslie first heard about him retiring. It all seemed like a long, long time ago.

Another file caught her attention. The only thing in it was a signed photograph of Alf. Leslie remembered that entry pretty well. A lump started to form deep in her throat as the memory of a slender, straight-haired girl entering that bullpen for the first time crossed her mind.

* * *

Leslie observed her standing there, waiting by the entrance with the lost stare of a lost girl. She didn’t seem willing (or daring) to ask, her fingers nervously tapping on the counter. With a deep sigh, she turned around, ready to leave.

‘‘Wait!’’ Leslie called, dashing out of her office.

The strange girl turned to face her.

‘‘Hi, sorry. Donna was supposed to be running the desk today… I don’t know where she is,’’ Leslie frowned. ‘‘Anyway, I’m Leslie Knope. How can I help you?’’

‘‘I’m here for the internship. Or whatever it is that I should do here,’’ the girl shrugged.

‘‘Oh, yes, great,’’ Leslie grinned. They’d been blessed with PCC’s programs long ago, but sadly, very few people had since applied for an internship in their department. Young people were nuts those days; what could be better than providing the whole town with lots of fun and places to enjoy some quality time? ‘‘And your name is…’’

‘‘April.’’

‘‘That’s a beautiful name.’’ It really was. ‘‘Okay, April, let’s go to my office.’’

Leslie grabbed her by the hand, but April removed it instantly, as if she’d just been burned. Their gazes met for a brief second, yet enough for those wide eyes to show something Leslie had never seen in anyone else’s look before. Something that made everything else irrelevant afterwards: the Alf entry, the college credit being April’s sole motive, even the fact that she’d ended up there just because her sister didn’t wake her up for the sign-up. As thorough as Leslie tended to be, she felt as if none of that mattered. She would take that girl in, and not because she had been the only applicant so far. Leslie still didn’t know why, but it sure was more than a gut feeling.

After the interview, she watched as the new intern walked towards the exit. There was something missing, something April probably couldn’t find by herself. What made that girl seem so lost? Was she really that aimless? There were thousands of goals out there, especially for someone that young, different and with so much potential.

That day, Leslie made herself a promise.


	66. Moms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by Opti as some April/Leslie friendship stuff :3

For the first time ever since Jack was born, a hint of regret crossed April’s mind. She should have known better, she should have known she wasn’t made for this. The image of first steps, giggling and dimples on a chubby, olive-skinned face had gotten her through pregnancy. April hadn’t given much thought to the other side of the coin, which was her son crying inconsolably from noon to midnight, and vice versa.

A sleepless Andy had left for work almost two hours ago. He’d almost called his boss in the Teach Yo’Self program so he could stay at home instead, but April insisted he go. She knew Jack wouldn’t be the only one crying the moment Andy wasn’t around to witness her breakdown.

Jack’s bawling was so loud that she almost didn’t hear the incoming call on her Gryzzl phone. April felt nothing but relief when she saw Leslie’s face on the screen.

‘‘Hi,’’ she answered, her voice still a bit hoarse from the previous sobbing.

‘‘Hey, Andy just called me. What’s going on?’’

‘‘Can’t you hear it?’’ April asked, defeated, as Jack went on with his blubbering. ‘‘He’s been like this since yesterday and I don’t know what’s wrong with him!’’ her voice rose as she spoke.

‘‘Okay, calm down,’’ Leslie said. It didn’t work. ‘‘Have you tried-’’

‘‘I’ve tried everything! But he isn’t hungry, and sure as hell he won’t sleep. I don’t know what else to do… I should never have done this, Leslie, I’m a terrible-’’

‘‘April, listen to me,’’ Leslie cut her off. ‘‘It’s probably nothing, okay? Just don’t freak out and wait till I get there.’’

The starting sound of a car engine came from over the phone right before Leslie hung up.

* * *

After having raised three children, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that Leslie knew exactly what to do the moment she saw Jack and took him in her arms.

‘‘Another colic case,’’ Leslie said knowingly as she sat in the living room armchair. ‘‘Wesley had them all the time.’’

‘‘So, it isn’t bad?’’ April collapsed on the couch, biting what was left of her nails.

‘‘Nah, it’s just a stomachache. He has trouble digesting things, but nothing that can’t be solved with some probiotics. But, for now…’’

Leslie started rubbing the baby’s belly, giving him a gentle massage. And then, something amazing happened: the room went silent. For the first time in forever, April could hear the tick of the clock, the kitchen’s faucet leaking, even the wind through the trees outside. Sounds she’d almost forgotten existed. Jack stared blankly, still processing the fact that he wasn’t uncomfortable anymore.

April stretched both arms instinctively, not bearing the thought of her healthy baby being somewhere other than her own lap. Leslie placed him carefully in her mother’s arms, and April resumed the massage. Exhausted, Jack closed his eyes, ready for a long nap.

‘‘Thank you,’’ April said, still amazed by Leslie’s wisdom.

‘‘It’s nothing,’’ Leslie shrugged. ‘‘Now, you should get some sleep, too.’’

‘‘I’m fine,’’ she lied. ‘‘It’s just… I don’t know, I don’t know anything about this,’’ April’s voice broke at the end, but she kept herself together somehow.

‘‘Yeah, you don’t. But most times it’s them who help us learn, you know? Children tell us what they need even before they can speak. And, in time, we learn how to listen. You’ll get there.’’

‘‘I’m not so sure,’’ April muttered.

‘‘You will. Meanwhile, you can call me anytime. You know that, right?’’

‘‘Yeah, sure it’s better than one of your meetings with the governor.’’

‘‘It is, actually. I’ll always be here when you need me,’’ Leslie patted April’s knee.

‘‘Whatever, mom,’’ April rolled her eyes as a thank you.

‘‘I’m gonna make some coffee. You desperately need some.’’


	67. Flu Season

When Andy was asked about April not coming into work that morning, he’d really told the truth. He still wasn’t sure if they had believed him, since her having the flu had become the usual excuse, as if _the flu_ was some kind of a code word for _she just didn’t feel like coming_. But, this time, she was sick indeed. So sick he’d almost stayed at home with her instead. He might as well have, because the office without April was pretty much like fries without ketchup.

No fries, no greasy burger for lunch that day. Of course he could go to the cafeteria and grab the food himself, but what would be the point? He’d much rather see her entering the bullpen with two paper bags and a wide, rare smile on her face. She often hid some surprise inside his bag, like a bunch of stolen straws so he could make a super long one, or a salad to replace Ron’s lunch with. But not today.

By noon, April’s empty desk was making him so sick he almost pretended to actually be. But then Leslie came with a ton of campaign paperwork for him to fill in. As boring as it was, the task eventually took his mind off things and helped him through the rest of the day.

* * *

‘‘And you d-d-didn’t fill them with fake data? Didn’t even m-m-make up the phone numbers?’’ A shivery April asked from the bed as Andy changed into the worn out sweatpants he wore as pajamas. ‘‘You b-betrayed me, Dwyer.’’

‘‘You’re way better than me at coming up with that stuff,’’ Andy slipped into bed, barely lifting the blankets so no warmth would be lost under the sheets. ‘‘Plus, it’s not that funny without you around,’’ he shrugged.

April covered her mouth, but it didn’t keep a barky, whooping cough from coming out. Her teeth resumed chattering right afterwards.

‘‘You cold?’’ The flu did work in mysterious ways. It wasn’t really that cold; Andy was perfectly fine shirtless. ‘‘Come here,’’ he reached for her.

‘‘I d-don’t wanna give this t-t-to you,’’ April shook her head and remained curled up in the frozen ball she’d become.

Andy sighed, yet he knew exactly what to do. He stepped out of bed, and tried his best not to laugh when he saw April’s disappointed expression, which she could only hide poorly by this point. Then, he walked over to the TV, turned on their old Xbox and grabbed one of the controllers.

Getting into bed again, Andy brought his wife into his embrace, and this time she didn’t put up any resistance. He felt her face burning up as she nestled against his bare chest. Again, how could she be trembling so bad? The flu was definitely a weird thing.

‘‘If you get sick, you’ll be the only one to blame,’’ still, April was holding onto him like he was the warmest radiator on Earth.

‘‘Oh, I already had the flu once. I’m immune now,’’ Andy bragged, kissing the top of her head.

It didn’t take much for April to fall asleep, as Andy kept playing that awesome video game they’d bought with Ben’s more than unfair rental. Ketchup might be the most awesome sauce for fries, but those kinds of nights were the real awesomesauce stuff.


	68. Washington D.C.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place in December, 2021 + flashback to 7x08.

April was good at her job. She’d never been a decent student, and she sucked as a public servant (but mostly because the job itself had always been pointless to begin with). But this new position of hers she could actually handle. Enjoy, even. And, modesty aside, she hadn’t been promoted to head of her department for nothing. Yes, she aced every case, no matter how desperate, and even though that wasn’t something April would brag about out loud, she had to admit there was some pride involved in each handshake, right before she watched those kids walk away towards a new future.

Maybe some of that pride was behind that itchy feeling in her chest when April first came across with a case to which she had no answers whatsoever. It was a 20-year-old girl named Talia who, after having dropped out of school way too soon, still remained directionless. Not that school was super crucial when it came to careers, as proven by the many non-students April had helped throughout the years. But, unlike the majority of the young people April dealt with, Talia had no interests she could work with, no hope, not even the need of asking for help, since her coming to the foundation had been parent-imposed. She almost reminded April of herself back on her worst days, except this could be graver. So, pride might not have been the only element in the equation. Maybe April needed to help this girl because of how far their similarities went.

Like every time she needed to clear her head, April went for a stroll down the Mall, a greenway surrounding Washington D.C.’s major landmarks. She couldn’t care less about the monuments (such indifference made Leslie cringe to this day), but she greatly enjoyed the tranquility of the place and, on cold days like that one, the lack of people around. It was hard to believe the same city that had had her and Ben swimming in their own sweat so many years ago was now ruled by the sharpest wind in the East coast.

Walking down that path was like a trip to memory lane, which always came in handy whenever April needed to take her mind off the present. First there was the pool, now somehow filled with dozens of resilient seagulls that didn’t seem to care for the cold water, nor the even colder breeze waving its surface. She could almost hear Leslie’s voice supporting her for the millionth time, rescuing her from the claws of all the uncertainty she was buried under back then. April half-smiled as she ran her fingers across the rounded edge of the pool. She might be kicking ass at her job, but even when it came to counseling Leslie was way better than she would ever be.

April kept walking down the boulevard, witnessing the sun as it set behind that white thing Andy found so similar to a penis. The orange sky was only interrupted by the occasional flight of planes taking off and their white, cloudlike traces. The sight felt equally comforting and distracting, and, by the time April’s mind came back to Earth, she found herself past the obelisk and next to the bench Leslie had always claimed to be theirs. Many conversations had taken place there in the course of the last years, but the one that April was remembering now had nothing to do with Leslie.

* * *

It happened right after April told her former boss she was quitting and was left there, hopeless, feeling like she was nothing but a huge disappointment to everyone around, and even to her not so careless self.

She was debating whether or not to call Andy and admit her failure once again to the one she least wanted to let down, when the tapping of her fingers upon her cell phone was met by a familiar buzz. As dubious as April was, she answered as soon her husband’s goofiest face showed on the screen.

‘‘Oh, that sucks,’’ he said over the phone after she told him about Leslie’s reaction. ‘‘But hey, sure she’ll calm down when she knows about your new job.’’

‘‘What new job?’’

‘‘The one Ben and I are trying to get you. Ron’s helping us out, too. You’re gonna love it,’’ though Andy’s radiant optimism didn’t lack its usual soothing effect, it didn’t quite soak through April’s layered insecurity.

‘‘What if I don’t?’’ she asked.

‘‘Well, then… Then we leave the country. We’ll travel the world, undercover… Oh! We could be like secret agents! Like, Macklin’s been promoted and he needs a hot assistant or something.’’

‘‘Yeah, except the assistant is actually the head of some Russian mafia and Macklin ends up at her mercy,’’ April responded in a fake Soviet accent.

‘‘But, after many years of doing it all over the world, he finds the perfect job for her in Magnolia and-’’

‘‘You mean Mongolia?’’

‘‘I think it’s Magnolia, babe. Anyway, he finds her a job, and they live happily ever after.’’

‘‘Ew,’’ she said, but maybe what really grossed her out was how much she actually missed him.

* * *

Travelling, seeing the world. A gap year. Maybe that was what Talia needed.


	69. Night Driving

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post fancy party moment :)

Andy’s new parents-in-law were so awesome. The fact that they’d lent them their pristine Volkswagen so they could go to Burly’s vacation house proved that, unlike half of Andy and April’s wedding guests, they supported this marriage. Andy would have married April anyway, no matter how many people thought such union had been rushed and irrational. God, he would marry her like ten thousand times and then once again; the only approval he needed was hers. But, for some reason, April’s parents’ opinion did matter to him, so Andy was glad they were cool about it.

Mr. Ludgate’s car was equally cool. Andy had lost practice when it came to driving. He’d never been able to afford having a car of his own to begin with, not even while he was with Ann. For a moment, those memories felt unreal, as if the Andy that still didn’t know April never existed. As if he was another person, or maybe a dumb cousin he’d lost touch with. Anyway, driving an automatic vehicle through the night wasn’t exactly rocket science. He’d been careful at first –the last thing he wanted was to break old Larry’s trust- but it wasn’t long before that horsepower became speed, and the speed matched Andy’s sudden urge to reach their destination.

April was fast asleep on the passenger seat. She had leaned against his shoulder, keeping a firm grip on Andy’s forearm with one hand; the other intertwining its fingers with her husband’s. Andy kissed the top of her head as the highway lights passed fast on both sides. He was, indeed, the luckiest man in the galaxy.


	70. Rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by the amazing lunabelles on Tumblr :3  
> Prompt: The way you said ''I love you,'' as we huddle together, the storm raging outside.

April couldn’t think of any part of her body that wasn’t soaked already. Her Keds and socks were a lost cause at this point, worsening with every puddle she stepped in. That yellow hoodie had turned brown, the kind of ugly brown Ann Perkins would have loved. The raindrops slid down her hair, gluing it to both cheeks, but she had no free hands to tuck it back. An equally drenched Andy kept holding her hand as they ran down Main Street, whilst April gripped Champion’s leash with the other.

The three of them looked as if they’d been swimming in Ramset Lake for hours with their clothes on. Then, why were they still running? Maybe Andy’s whoops every now and then had something to do in the matter. Or maybe it was the fact that she couldn’t stop smiling along the way. It was fun, and so she didn’t question any further.

* * *

After Andy dried Champion by rubbing a towel against its fur, the dog curled up in the bed they had bought for him two weeks ago, on the same day they decided to adopt him.

The couple also changed into more comfortable, dry clothes. April’s teeth kept chattering throughout the process. But, if there was something cozier than taking off one’s wet socks and slipping into a warm pair, that was putting one of Andy’s sweat shirts on. So she did, and even though the storm was still raging outside, she was no longer shaking by the time they were snuggling on the couch. The natural warmth of Andy’s body over hers was definitely helping, too.

Giving their lips a break, Andy elbow propped his head up and looked her in the eye for a while, only to wallow in each one of her traits afterwards, and then back to those wide eyes. A dumb smile dawned on his face as he gently tucked a strand of April’s damp hair behind her ear.

‘‘Why are you looking at me like that?’’ April asked.

‘‘Like what?’’

Somehow, his oblivious response was enough for an answer. Burying her fingers in the wet curls on the back of his neck, she brought him down to resume the kissing. And, between breaths, three particular words allowed Andy to explain himself better.


	71. The South Rim

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by anotheropti on Tumblr :)  
> Prompt: The way you said ''I love you'' ~ Over your shoulder.

‘‘Where’s all the faces… of the presidents?’’ Andy asked, still looking at the horizon.

‘‘Babe, those aren’t-’’

‘‘Hey, maybe we’ll see them if we go up there!’’ he exclaimed, pointing at a distant formation. It was a huge, reddish rock facing the steep-sided wall of the canyon. Though certainly located at a higher spot, it was nearly a mile from where they were standing. ‘‘Let’s go!’’

‘‘Andy, wait,’’ April grabbed him by his shirt before he took a second step. ‘‘Those faces are on Mount Rushmore.’’

‘‘And which one is that?’’ he asked, looking around.

‘‘It’s in South Dakota.’’

‘‘Oh,’’ a hint of disappointment briefly crossed his face, but it was soon replaced by Andy’s trademark excitement. ‘‘Well, that’s an awesome spot to see the canyon from, anyway. D’you wanna go?’’

April pondered it for a second, her lips pursed. After having driven for more than twenty hours, she was utterly exhausted. Who would have thought one could get so tired just from sitting behind a wheel? Okay, maybe that quick stop at an abandoned gas station had something to do with it. And the fact that she’d been awake for almost two days straight didn’t help either. The point was, April wasn’t in the best conditions to border the cliff uphill. She wouldn’t even have gone that far had the path been plain.

But something clicked inside April as soon as her gaze left the rock and went back to her husband’s expression. The dark shadows behind those green eyes gave away Andy’s own weariness from his fare share of long driving hours. And, given the way he was sweating, he probably felt like hell under that merciless sun. Yet, that wide smile remained, that endless eagerness still made his eyes glisten, and filled his lungs with joy every time he spoke, every time he breathed. And only because she’d decided to take him to the Grand Canyon.

‘‘Okay,’’ April heard herself say. ‘‘Let’s climb that stupid rock.’’

* * *

Turns out, Converse are not the best footwear for long walks. April’s sore feet, along with her consequent slow pace and occasional grunts made it pretty obvious she couldn’t go on much farther.

‘‘You okay?’’ Andy asked before long.

‘‘Yeah, it’s just… These shoes are the worst.’’

_Also, my whole body freaking aches, but other than that, I’m fine._

‘‘You wanna go back?’’

April knew him well enough to know he wasn’t just asking that. Andy had turned his back to their destination, as if it was no longer so, as if that rock and its purpose had never existed. He was facing her, a sudden worry warping his traits and eclipsing all the previous joy. A word of hers, and they would go back to where the car was parked.

But April hadn’t forgotten about that higher lookout, or the reasons she’d agreed to go there in the first place. Plus, the view got better and better as they moved forward, and at this point she genuinely wanted to see everything from up there.

‘‘No,’’ April answered quickly. ‘‘I’m okay...’’

But she clearly wasn’t, and he clearly noticed from the way he shook his head at her. Without saying anything, Andy squatted down. Also wordlessly, she accepted the piggyback by climbing onto his back, maybe holding on more tightly than needed.

* * *

Andy was right, he had been right since the beginning.  This new view was stunning, and a thousand times better than the scenery they’d seen from the lower cliffs. They stood there for a moment, April still onto Andy’s back, both marveling at the sheer, coppery land before them, as the sun set so far away. The orange shades in the ground blended in with the sky’s until they turned pink, and purple, and then red again.

‘‘I love you,’’ April said over his shoulder. She gave him a quick kiss on the neck, lest she miss any changes on the horizon.

‘‘I love _you_ ,’’ he responded, with a clear emphasis on that last pronoun. ‘‘You made this possible.’’


	72. An Honest Mistake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by anotheropti on Tumblr as “you look like you need a hug.” Oh, and takes place somewhere along the 94 Meetings episode. Enjoy! ^-^

Andy had one job to do that morning. One that rose above everything he’d done before, and on those few occasions when he was given a little bit more of responsibility in that building, he was determined to nail whatever he would be in charge of. That day, the orders had been simple: don’t say yes to anything.

‘‘And we also need an aquatic center, young man,’’ that old lady asked. ‘‘Doctors always tell us to swim in order to ease our back pain, but we don’t have anywhere to do so. My husband Harvey went to Ramsett Lake the other day and came home covered in leeches.’’

The request seemed pretty reasonable, but Andy couldn’t say yes. That didn’t mean he couldn’t nod, though.

‘‘Oh, thank you so much,’’ she sighed in relief.

And then the woman kept jabbering, but something else caught Andy’s attention. April was stepping out of Leslie’s office, frowning and clearly bummed out by something. She didn’t stop to look at him or anyone; her gaze remained fixed on the floor as she left the Parks department.

‘‘Excuse me, ma’am,’’ Andy said vaguely. ‘‘I have to go.’’

‘‘But I have more-’’

The rest of that sentence never reached Andy’s ears. Yes, he had a job to do, but right now he couldn’t seem to remember what it was even about. As if drawn by something beyond his understanding, Andy followed April’s steps, only to see her turning the hallway’s corner. Rather than call her out loud, Andy decided to follow her quietly from a safe distance, the way a true FBI agent would have. He was not surprised when he saw her avoiding the crowded elevators and taking the stairs instead.

* * *

As empty as the third floor was, Andy would have sworn he’d caught a glimpse of a yellow shade sneaking into that story’s main office. But there was no one there. Disappointed, he turned around, hoping that old lady wouldn’t still be waiting for him in the conference room. And then, he heard it. A loud sniff came from somewhere among the upside-down furniture. Maybe Macklin wasn’t that lame of an agent after all.

Following the sobs, he found her behind an overturned desk, sitting on the floor next to a broken down radiator that was probably no source of heat there. With her back against the wall, April was hugging her knees and resting her chin on them, which made her look as little as she probably felt. At least that’s what Andy guessed from that one tear running down her cheek. That was, of course, before she saw him standing there and dried it with a quick move of her hand.

‘‘What are you doing here?’’ April asked, startled.

‘‘I… I don’t know,’’ Andy scratched the back of his head. ‘‘I saw you were pissed off and thought you might want some company,’’ he shrugged.

‘‘What are you, a stalker?’’

‘‘More like an FBI agent,’’ Andy answered proudly.

And, for some reason, that broke through whatever was on April’s mind. Her scowl vanished as she scoffed. She was rolling her eyes, too, but smiling nonetheless. Despite that radiator being completely useless, Andy felt a familiar warmth spreading from his chest to both jowls. Ever since that picnic day, he had been no stranger to that feeling, but he’d never given much thought to—

‘‘Whatever,’’ April broke away his reverie. ‘‘Just don’t tell anyone this place exists.’’

‘‘Done.’’

April half-smiled at him while he stood there awkwardly. But then some dark thought spoiled that rare delight again, and the furrowed brow returned.

‘‘So… Tough day, huh?’’

‘‘That doesn’t even cover it,’’ she grunted. ‘‘People in this town are stupid.’’

‘‘Yeah, I just heard of some old guy that went swimming in Ramsett Lake. I mean, everyone knows that’s where you do your leech breeding,’’ Andy mocked.

‘‘Please, tell me they sucked all his blood up.’’

‘‘They did! You’ve trained them well.’’

Their laughs echoed through that empty floor, but April ended hers with a deep sigh.

‘‘Ron’s gonna blow his top once all those morons are gone. And it’s all my fault.’’

‘‘Hey, listen to me. None of this is your fault, okay? If anything, you spared Ron a whole year of meetings. You’re the best assistant he could ever have, and he knows it.’’

Her smile came back, this time in the form of a lip-roll, and so did that genuine happiness in Andy’s chest, a rewarding feeling of doing something right for once, of getting the job done. And, somehow, this particular job felt more important than any other.

‘‘C’mon,’’ Andy held out a hand for her. ‘‘Let’s kick some asses down there.’’

April took his hand, letting him tug her up till they stood facing each other. Instinctively, Andy brought her into a massive hug. There sure were other ways to tell her she was perfectly able to do that, that she wasn’t the one to blame, that she was needed, and not only to drop calls and send those citizens as far away as possible. But Andy wasn’t great with words anyway.

‘‘Thank you,’’ she said, her voice muffled against Andy’s shirt as she wrapped her arms around his torso.

‘‘You got it, dude!’’

April broke apart, too soon, but also too abruptly. Yet again, something was off. He’d done something wrong, he knew it. But, what? April turned around and headed towards the stairs before Andy could even ask. Why was every job so confusing?


	73. I Caught Myself

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic was an accident, but here it is.  
> Takes place at the end of 3x03.

Attending that Twilight screening was probably the second to last thing April wanted to do that night. But even that was better than staying home, where a paper wall was the only thing standing between her and Natalie’s sex night. Her stupid boyfriend came around every time their parents went out, and April was running out of places to escape to in the meantime.

So, there she was, pretending to text her nonexistent friends ( _seriously, Orin, get a cell phone already_ ), while some deer was being chased by that shovel face who –yikes!- also sparkled in the sunlight.

 _Seems like someone stole your glitter moisturizer_ , April typed on her chat with Tom. But a brief glance towards him was enough to dissuade her from pressing send. He looked genuinely excited about the whole thing, smiling dumbly and utterly intrigued.

The others also seemed to be enjoying the movie, especially Chris, who had been crying since the protagonist condemned a tiny cactus to live in the harsh conditions of the state of Washington. But, unlike them, Andy wasn’t much interested in the vampires’ businesses. He kept plucking the grass with a lost stare, and, had there been something other than hay in that brain of his, April would have said he was doing some serious thinking.

It was annoying enough that he’d sat next to her, and then he’d started asking her questions. After she told him about Eduardo being gone for good, Andy’s mind had been drifting to nowhere. But what else could you expect from a dick-driven guy like him? Sometimes she seriously wondered if he’d been brainwashed in the past. Anyhow, at least Andy wasn’t talking to her anymore, so April was cool with all the dopiness.

‘‘So…’’ yeah, she should be so lucky. ‘‘Does that mean you’ll say yes tomorrow?’’

Ever since April came back from Venezuela, she would find him sitting by her desk every morning, waiting for her to come into work. Every day he would ask her out, holding some stupid handmade gift for her. At this point April didn’t even bother to answer; she just tossed it in the trash and minded her own business until he eventually went sniffing shoe polish, or whatever it was he did for a living.

‘‘No, I won’t,’’ she said in a feigned, apologetic tone. ‘‘But you know who would? Your precious nurse. You should ask her instead.’’

‘‘But I don’t want to go out with Ann. I told you, I don’t even like her anymore.’’

_Anymore._

‘‘Andy…’’ she closed her eyes, because, unlike some, April did have some thoughts to organize. ‘‘You kissed her on the same day you told me--’’ And then she paused, because there was no way to put that into words. ‘‘You can’t pretend it didn’t happen.’’

‘‘Then what can I do?’’ he sounded so desperate. So desperate it hurt. Why didn’t he…

‘‘… Just shut up. Please.’’

April averted her eyes to the screen above, where some plain girls tried on prom dresses. That Paramore song in the background was the last straw before April stood up and trudged back to where her car was parked.


	74. Before the Street Got Lonely

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by chapter 220 of the No One Like You series by opti :)
> 
> Washington D.C., 2029

The beginning of the summer brought longer, hotter days to their middle class neighborhood in D.C. To April’s dismay, that also meant they had three months of living in a swamp town ahead, with 200% humidity and everything outside her home as sticky as the inside. The good thing was, playing hours had extended with those extra minutes of sunlight, and her two children seemed much happier as a result. Though maybe the fact that they’d just finished school was part of the reason as well.

Even Jack, who had inherited his mother’s preference for staying indoors, went out more often those days. With Andy as his mentor, the six-year-old was getting better at football, and even at his short age, he showed some impressive skills with the skateboard. But Andy wasn’t that great of a companion when it came to skating; last time he’d tried, the huge man face-planted on his rollerblades. And then there was the tree fort, which by now had become Jack’s second home. After all, there is no childhood without a wooden house to call your own.

So Jack, like most children, enjoyed riding his bike and having some fresh air once in a while. But he loved the comfort of his room even more, so April wasn’t much worried that afternoon he’d spent upstairs without making the slightest sound. Neither had she found it strange that Tim, Jack’s best friend, didn’t knock at the front door once. The Wallace’s place must have been pretty chaotic considering they were moving out soon, and not all families handled the total lack of organization as well as the Ludgate-Dwyers did.

So, with Tim busy across the street, there was a 98% chance her son was quietly enjoying a good book up there. Free from all worries, April reclined on the couch against Andy’s chest, willing to watch that stupid movie as long as his fingers wouldn’t stop playing with her hair.

 

But then it was dinnertime, and even though the smell of fried sausages filled every room, there was still no sign of Jack. He didn’t even answer when she called him to help set the table, and that could only mean one thing.

April climbed up the stairs while Natalie and Andy finished the hot dogs in the kitchen. She knocked twice on Jack’s door, but he said nothing.

‘‘Jack? It’s mom. Can I come in?’’

‘‘… Okay,’’ the boy sniffed.

April walked in -- after hearing that sniff, she would have anyways -- and closed the door behind her. Jack was sat cross-legged, looking down with his back against the side of the bed. Indeed, he’d been crying.

‘‘Hey,’’ in the blink of an eye, she was on the floor next to him. ‘‘What happened, baby?’’

Jack rested his head against April’s chest when she brought him in for a side hug.

‘‘Tim’s moving out,’’ Jack sobbed. ‘‘He told me this morning.’’

Of course. April knew, and maybe she should have told him. But the right time never seemed to come, and even if it had, how could she? Jack would find out eventually, and she’d wanted to put it off for as long as possible. She’d wanted to avoid _this_.

‘‘I’m so sorry, sweetheart,’’ she said. ‘‘When is he leaving?’’

‘‘Saturday.’’

‘‘That sucks,’’ she comforted him, somewhat pathetically. April wasn’t exactly the best shoulder to cry on, she had never been. Motherhood didn’t make her any better, and she hated herself for it almost as much as she hated seeing her son cry. Lost for words, April hugged him tighter, kissing the back of his head.

‘‘Yeah,’’ he said.

‘‘You can still be in touch,’’ April wiped away the remaining tear on Jack’s cheek with her thumb. ‘‘I’ll let you use my cell.’’

‘‘But you need it for work.’’

‘‘Yes, but you’re the only one here who won’t break it or lose it.’’

‘‘Didn’t dad drop it in a bowl of cereal once?’’

‘‘Exactly. But I can trust _you_.’’

And then Jack gifted her with a brief chuckle. Was it possible that she loved him more and more each day, each second?

‘‘What’s that smell?’’ he asked.

‘‘Oh, dad’s making hot dogs for dinner… And you know what else we’re having?’’

‘‘Monkey brains?’’ Jack smiled wickedly.

‘‘No, your other favorite food. The one you’ve actually tried.’’

His smile turned into a huge grin and yes, it was possible.

‘‘French fries!’’

* * *

Cooking was great. Making hot dogs was awesome. But cooking and making hot dogs with his daughter was beyond Andy’s vocabulary. Whenever things didn’t end in a food fight, it was always fun to get their hands (and face) covered with sauce, flour or whatever the ingredients were.

That night, the weird mix of ketchup and mustard under Nat’s nose had Andy laughing out loud as he cut the buns open. Was it possible that dinners got better and better every night?

‘‘Wow, cool mustache!’’ April praised the four-year-old when she came into the kitchen.

‘‘Cooler than uncle Ron’s?’’

‘‘Definitely,’’ her mother said, tiptoeing as she tried to reach the bag of potatoes on the upper shelf.

Grabbing her by the waist, Andy scooped April up so she could get it. ‘‘What are you doing?’’

‘‘Fries,’’ his wife grabbed one peeler.

‘‘Great idea, babe!’’ Andy said.

And, without questioning it any further, he started peeling as well. Because, yes, it was possible.


	75. Uncertainty

_The scream just got louder. The scream just got louder. The scream just got louder._

Louder and louder, what Andy had said the day before kept hammering in April’s head, over and over, like a stuck song with lyrics that may or may not have been about love. He’d said that right after she suggested they could carpool to work, be practically neighbors and, all in all, spend more time together than they already did. He’d been pleased with the idea, delighted even, and not once had he considered the possibility of getting tired of her eventually. Even though he was obliviously bound to.

_What is this? (The scream just got louder) What are we? (The scream just got louder) How does he see me?_

More thoughts bombarding, leading to nowhere. Sure, they were friends. Pretty good friends, actually, almost Orin-level friends, yet this was different. Orin wasn’t exactly the most talkative person ever and, as fine as that was, sometimes even April Ludgate needed some sort of conversation in her life. In contrast, Andy did talk, brightening every otherwise miserable day with his trademark, silly gabbling. And she laughed with (not at) his dumb views on life, never bothering to hide that rare smile behind an empty cup of coffee.

And, if anything, Andy was a great listener. Whenever April had something to vent about, he would stop eating whatever snacks he’d stolen from his own stand, and he wouldn’t take another bite of it until she was finished. Unlike the rest, unlike everyone, he seemed to genuinely care. And, even though some of her ranting was often beyond his understanding, he would at least try.

Yes, they talked a lot, and not only at work. They texted as well. What had started as a funny YouTube video every other day was now a large string of messages exchanged on a nightly basis, most times till 3 am, even on weekdays. Especially on weekdays. April couldn’t get enough of them and, despite her solid detachment from everyone and everything, she found herself needing it, as she realized the first night Andy had had band practice and didn’t respond until the next morning.

But she wasn’t that co-dependent, was she? After all, what were they? Just friends.

 _JUST FRIENDS_ , the scream got louder.

April swerved to the left as she walked down the hallway. She was still carrying both her coffee and Andy’s, but he would have to wait that morning. After stepping into the restroom, April placed both cups on the countertop. Then, she took a deep breath, bracing herself for the following, revealing sight before she looked up.

‘‘Destroy your mirror and avoid mishaps,’’ she once read somewhere.

No _(what are we?)_. Keep your friends close, and your mirror closer _(that can’t be)_.

* * *

The shoeshine head was kicking off again. Andy definitely could use some coffee, and maybe even one of those amazing burgers April always brought him. But, even so, it wasn’t the food that he was craving the most. Despite Kyle’s endless narration of his family vacation, the shoeshine stand felt extremely silent. There was a lack of laughter, the miraculous kind, a lack of voice, the one he knew so well, and he could barely stand it. As Kyle paid him more money than any other client would have, Andy realized it wasn’t just a matter of boredom – he really missed her.

It was already well past noon, and April still hadn’t showed up. Andy pondered sticking his head in the bullpen door, if only to check she had come in today, that she wasn’t ill or anything. Maybe to chat for a little while. If she wanted to, of course. But, what if she didn’t?

What was he to her, after all? April had put so much effort on helping him lately. She’d found him the perfect place to finally move out from Burly’s, she’d supported his band,  she’d gifted him the best football jersey ever made, she’d kept him company every night on the phone, and sent him calming songs whenever he was too excited to fall sleep.

But, what had he given her in return? What could have he? As much as it hurt to admit, Ann was right. Andy did have a job now, but he barely had enough for a decent rent, anyway. He wasn’t exactly the smartest guy on the planet, nor was he the neatest. He was in terrible shape, he sweated all the time. Yes, he was in a band, and he was nice, but, apart from that, he had little else to offer. Why would April Ludgate, the coolest chick he’d ever known, want to keep hanging out with someone like him? Why would Ann?

Ann. She was hot, of course, and he still wanted her back. But April was cooler, way more fun to mess around with, less demanding for a perfection he was far from reaching, yet probably too good for him. If Ann Perkins didn’t want him as a boyfriend, how on earth could he ever be deserving of April’s attention?

Another client came along, and for once Andy wished all the fumes would erase every thought, no matter the consequent headache.


	76. A Marvelous Tune

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by the amazing lunabelles on Tumblr as ''things you said as we danced in our socks.'' Enjoy! :)

April collapsed on the couch, finally kicking her sneakers off (she’d changed those hellish sandals roughly as soon as the minister stopped talking), and rested her feet on the coffee table. Those black socks poorly matched her wedding dress, but she couldn’t care less. Now, she just wanted Andy to dismiss the last guests and come back to her so they could enjoy some alone time. And that was exactly what he did.

‘‘They’re all gone now, babe,’’ Andy flopped down on the couch beside her.

‘‘Nice,’’ she grabbed his hand, playing with his fingers. ‘‘Wait, even Burly?’’

‘‘Uh-huh. He’s staying at River’s.’’

‘‘Wow. How did you bribe him?’’

‘‘I didn’t,’’ Andy shrugged. ‘‘I just told him he’d be out of the band if he stayed here tonight.’’

‘‘Is that how you convinced him to lend us the lake house?’’ she laughed.

‘‘Yep. No bribes needed. He’s such a good friend.’’

They both leaned in for a kiss, and as it lasted, Burly was completely forgotten. So was the mess of a house that was left after the party, the flickering lights, the stale food, the now gone witnesses… even time itself turned into nothing - no past, no future, no present thing but them.

‘‘WE’RE MARRIED!’’ Andy exclaimed when they broke apart. He jumped off the couch in his excitement. ‘‘Don’t you wanna scream and sing and dance and…? Oh, let’s dance! But, not like before. I mean, something slower.’’

‘‘The band’s not here anymore,’’ April pointed at the improvised stage, where the unplugged instruments remained.

Actually, that had been the first excuse she could come up with. April was an expert when it came to weaseling out of any sort of dancing situation. She didn’t dance. But she also didn’t believe in marriage, figurative butterflies or white clothes, and there she was.

‘‘Oh,’’ Andy said, disappointedly. ‘‘I know! I can play some chords and we’ll dance to it.’’

‘‘So, you’ll be playing and dancing with me… simultaneously?’’ April asked skeptically.

‘‘Shoot,’’ he frowned.

His scowl lingered there for a moment, but then another idea softened Andy’s expression. He started humming something, a tune that, though extremely familiar, was definitely not among Mouse Rat’s works. After the second verse, she recognized it. It was a Bette Midler song; one of her favorites, actually. April would usually sing it in the shower, or as she played the album in the car when she thought Andy was asleep. Yet, somehow, he knew about it.

Andy held out a hand for her, and April saw herself taking it. She felt the fluffy carpet under her feet and let Andy bring her closer. April pressed her temple against his chest, which still vibrated with every note he hummed. The peace was only broken when he almost stepped on her right foot, making both of them stumble. After all, neither of them were great dancers. Andy slipped off his shoes and kicked them aside, only to resume the dancing right afterwards.

Seriously, what had happened? She was dancing, for fuck’s sake. And, above all, she was married. How had she ended up here? Why wasn’t she worried at all? This wasn’t what she’d thought her life would be like; April had never thought of herself as someone’s wife. And, even though she was much more than that, her latest choices were damn against everything she’d always defended. But, had she ever really had a plan for herself, anyway?

They’d made the decision on the spur of the moment. Not once had April thought about the long-term consequences, such as moving in with him, dealing with each other’s quirks on a daily basis, being introduced to everyone he was friends with, not to mention his family, and all the stuff she hated doing but that he would demand eventually. Except Andy wasn’t much of a demanding guy. On the contrary, April couldn’t remember a single time he’d forced her to do anything. Even this dance was happening because she’d wanted it to.

April was getting loose lately, putting the future aside, at least for a while. And she’d found herself liking it. It was almost as if she could be another person, the kind of person who enjoys the ride instead of constantly picturing the inevitable car crash. Though certain, the upcoming damage was of unpredictable severity, and she didn’t feel like wasting any longer worrying about it. Plus, deep down April knew she couldn’t end up worse than she was before they met. So, just like Andy had nothing to win with her, she had nothing to lose with him.

And then there was the fact that she loved him. Only a trifle.

April smiled at the thought against his chest and lifted her head so they could eye each other.

‘‘Andy?’’

‘‘Yeah, babe?’’

‘‘I’m glad we did this.’’

‘‘Me, too,’’ he said happily. ‘‘Super glad.’’

Then, he started humming something that sounded a lot like German Death Reggae.


	77. Lightning Rods

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by anotheropti on Tumblr as ''things you said you loved about me.'' ^-^

The TV was on, but no one was paying attention to it. Andy was too busy tuning that pristine guitar he never used for his lessons, the one he only played at home, and April was too busy watching him work. As for Jack, he was out hunting for more sceneries he’d later turn into another stunning canvas. Then, they would pick the perfect spot for it on some wall in the house, and it would hang there to haunt every visitor forever. One day, April realized, there would be no more space left for them. But she would find a way; maybe by putting them up on the ceiling or something.

April’s train of thought derailed when she heard the front door slamming, a sound followed by some hurried, almost furious steps climbing up the stairs. Andy had no reaction – he still had his headphones on and seemed determined to get whatever chord he was having trouble with right.

But April knew. She knew their little daughter was now a teenager. She knew about the hormonal storms Natalie had gone through, but she was also aware of the other storms, the real ones. This one in particular could be either of them, but in any case, a lightning rod was required. Because, unlike her brother, who when upset would just need to be left alone, Natalie could always use a shoulder to cry on.

* * *

‘‘If this is about that Lamid, I’m gonna cut his balls and feed them to our cat,’’ April said, sticking her head in Nat’s bedroom door.

The blonde girl, who had been lying face down on her bed, rolled over so her mother could sit beside her. Doing so, April cupped both of Nat’s cheeks, wiping away the tears and kissing her on the nose.

‘‘On second thought,’’ April went on, ‘‘that would make Grumpy sick.’’

‘‘Yeah,’’ Natalie sniffed. ‘‘David’s balls are probably filled with poison. Just like his mouth.’’

‘‘What did he say?’’ April frowned, no longer joking.

‘‘Doesn’t matter. What matters is that all men are pigs, and I should never forget that.’’

April scoffed, looking down at the comforter, but barely seeing that lilac fabric. Instead, she saw the past, random scenes mingled with the unfounded thoughts she used to take as gospel.

‘‘What?’’ Natalie draw her out of her reverie with that inherited gift of noticing April’s own storms.

‘‘I used to think that way, too.’’

‘‘Mom,’’ Nat laughed, a weird chuckle, since the lump in her throat wasn’t completely gone yet. ‘‘You still hate most people.’’

‘‘I mean, about men. Like…’’

‘‘Like, love?’’

‘‘Yeah,’’ April rolled her eyes.

‘‘What made you change your mind?’’

‘‘Well, your father came along and… I don’t know, he was different.’’

April tucked one of Nat’s curls behind her ear. Her hair was of the same softness, the same color as Andy’s used to be before it turned grayer and receding.

‘‘Different how?’’

‘‘For starters, he would listen. But he wouldn’t listen just so he could say something afterwards. It wasn’t like he was waiting to speak, you know? He… he really cared. And, at the time, few people did that.’’

‘‘What else?’’ Nat asked, suddenly avid to know about a time she’d probably never considered before.

‘‘Well, that would have been enough. Never take listening for granted. But, yeah, there was more. He was the funniest guy I’d ever known; we would prank everyone, just like we still do, but worse. He would say the dumbest stuff, but he always had a point somehow. He would always ask if I was okay with things. And he’d ignore the things that just weren’t important.’’

If April hadn’t been so carried away with that endless string of features, she might have seen her daughter briefly staring at the door and winking at the tall figure that stood by the threshold.

‘‘He hasn’t changed much, then,’’ Nat said.

‘‘Nope,’’ April agreed.

‘‘Aw, babe, that’s so sweet,’’ Andy’s voice startled April from behind. ‘‘But you forgot to tell her how handsome I was.’’

‘‘How handsome you _are_ ,’’ April corrected, as Natalie made a face in response.

‘‘Gross.’’

‘‘C’mon,’’ April stood up, grabbing Nat by both hands. ‘‘We gotta go to the grocery store.’’

‘‘Why?’’

‘‘We don’t have enough eggs.’’

* * *

The morning after, David Miller’s white house was found spotted with loads of yellow stains, after which a horrified Ms. Miller was left wondering if they’d chosen the right neighborhood. Maybe they should have never left the Upper East Side.


	78. Happier

Despite being up to her ears in work due to the upcoming Harvest Festival (which, by the way, would be awesome and not only was it going to save the Parks Department, but most likely the entire Pawnee government), there were some things that Leslie couldn’t help but notice. Just subtle changes among her coworkers, like Ben getting a new suit for Perd’s show (almost too smart for him, as if he hadn’t picked it himself), or Ann’s rearrangement of the furniture in her house (although that must have been Chris’ idea because she’d put things back into place right after).

Anyhow, there was a different atmosphere in the bullpen lately, probably because of the hope this new project had brought both to the public servants and the city itself. Everyone seemed to have put their lives on hold just to pull it off, and Leslie couldn’t be more proud. Even April, whose trademark apathy usually kept her from being the slightest passionate about anything work related, seemed to be in a brighter mood.

Indeed, April had been more agreeable in the past few weeks than she’d ever been over the two years Leslie had known her. For starters, the young girl would use the printer more often, and the shredder less frequently. One morning, she even brought everyone coffee. Well, everyone except for Ann, whose cup was mercilessly tossed in the trash by April before the nurse’s eyes.

April was still herself –and, gosh, did Leslie love her for that- but something had clicked inside that twisted mind of hers. Even physically, Leslie could tell she was less pale, healthier, showing an odd glisten in her eyes that was definitely not there before. But, before what?

The deputy watched her pupil as she thought about it all. April was giving Leslie her back, busy by the coffee cart, using those wooden stirrers to push back her cuticles. Then, the courtyard door opened and Leslie turned her head, though not because she’d heard anything. Andy stepped into the office, yet not the boisterous way he usually did. He snuck in quietly, making his hands into a finger gun while approaching his oblivious girlfriend from behind.

Andy grabbed April by the waist, and even though she hadn’t seen him coming, she wasn’t startled at all by his sudden appearance. Instead, she laughed when he kissed her neck, a laugh so rare even Tom lifted his head from his new cell phone (another minor change).

Yes, April seemed different as well. She seemed happier.


	79. Reminder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by the sweet lunabelles on Tumblr as "I look at you, and I see all of the things I wish I was…" Hope you like it :)

Who would book plane tickets for an 8 am flight? Well, stupid Ben had. Because, apparently, he and the Energizer Bunny that he had for a girlfriend were the only two people on Earth able to function before ten in the morning. Gosh, April was barely a person before noon on a regular basis. So now, at some ungodly hour she didn’t even want to know exactly, it wasn’t April dragging down the dark hallway that led to the Parks Department. It was just a festering, sleepless zombie wearing a yellow cardigan.

After finally reaching the bullpen, she had some trouble finding the switch. Only two people would usually turn those lights on: the janitor and Leslie, who would come in even earlier than the former most days. For a moment, the zombie was blinded by the bright bulbs coming to life. By the time her eyes adjusted, April tried to remember why she’d needed to drop by the office in the first place. And she might as well be fast, because Andy was still waiting for her in the car and, should he fall asleep, it would take more than a loud honk to wake him up.

But, before any trace of purpose came to mind, something caught her eye. Memories of the election night came in waves when she saw that paperboard standing in the middle of the room, Andy’s handwriting filling its right side with his many dream jobs. As for the left side, only three impossible things were listed under her name. Even the substitute teacher one was out of the picture – attending high school once had been enough hell for a lifetime. She’d just been playing at it, gone along with Andy’s attempt to take her mind off of things, mainly because she actually needed to. The purpose was still out of reach.

‘‘Babe?’’ Andy’s voice made her turn to the entrance. ‘‘You got everything you need yet?’’

Oh, right, her office stuff. She needed to get some things from her desk before taking off.

‘‘Not really,’’ April shrugged. ‘‘I was just…’’

She pointed vaguely at the paperboard, her sleepy thoughts hurting despite coming from a numb brain. Andy approached her and put his arm around her waist. She reclined against him, because she knew the zombie’s heavy corpse was lighter than a feather for him.

‘‘Ha! Our dream jobs!’’ he exclaimed. ‘‘We should keep that list in case we ever get fired.’’

‘‘ _You_ should keep it,’’ she said bleakly.

‘‘But it is your list, too.’’

‘‘No,’’ April shook her head. ‘‘Those are just things I wish I was.’’

‘‘But you can be anything, babe,’’ he turned her in his arms so they could eye each other. ‘‘You’d be awesome at any of these jobs.’’

‘‘Ugh, forget about the jobs,’’ she rolled her eyes. ‘‘I meant...’’

‘‘What?’’

‘‘I meant everything that list says about you,’’ the blank stare on Andy’s expression asked for a further explanation. ‘‘You have dreams and ambition. A purpose. And that’s great, I mean, you’re gonna be the best cop ever as long as you keep me from stealing your gun, but… I don’t know. I’m not like that,’’ she glanced again at the right side of the board. ‘‘And it sucks.’’

‘‘Hey, listen to me,’’ his tone turned earnest. ‘‘You don’t have to be all of these things. I mean, you’d hate being a shoeshine guy, plus I don’t even think that’s legal.’’

‘‘What?’’

‘‘The point is, it’s not about having a lot of crazy dreams or being passionate about many things. It’s about finding this one thing you like to do. And you’ll get there. I mean, it took me long enough to realize I wanted to become a cop, didn’t it?’’ he laughed.

April let out a deep sigh as she buried her face in his chest. She really hoped he was right, yet she couldn’t see how.

‘‘Who knows?’’ Andy went on. ‘‘Maybe this internship will help you. Maybe you’ll like it in Washington. You know, find something cool to do?’’

April seriously doubted that. Even so, it was the closest thing to finding some purpose she’d been in months. And, of course, Andy had been the one to remind her, just like he’d reminded her what they were in the Parks office at 5 am for, or why erasing half of the department’s documents sure hadn’t been that big of a deal. He was a reminder of what really mattered, and now, as she hugged him right next to a forgotten board, April knew he was everything that did.


	80. Takeout Friday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by opti on Tumblr, the prompt being:

‘‘If you keep eating French fries, you’re going to turn into one!’’ Jack stuck his tongue out at his little sister.

It was a regular night at the Ludgate-Dwyer’s, save for the fact that it was Friday, and that always meant they’d have take-out for dinner. The family would take some other liberties, such as eating on the couch instead of sitting formally around the table. Although, truth be told, they’d made a habit of it over the last year, so now the round table at the back of the living room only served homework purposes.

Natalie’s jaw froze mid-chew, the half of a fry hanging out of the corner of her mouth. The six-year-old looked suddenly terrified, for she had eaten enough of those to become a potato wedge.

‘‘Look at you! You’re even turning yellow!’’ Jack went on.

‘‘Am I?’’ the girl checked her skin for evidence.

‘‘Is she?’’ Andy asked. Putting his burger aside, he rolled up Nat’s sleeve with deep concern on his face.

‘‘No, she is not!’’ April kissed the top of her daughter’s head. ‘‘He’s just messing with you because he’s run out of fries and he wants to eat yours. Stop it, Jack,’’ she added in a tone that allowed no discussion.

Frowning at her brother, Natalie resumed her binge.

‘‘I don’t get it, though,’’ Andy said as he cut one bun open. ‘‘Why do people always say that we are what we eat?’’

April couldn’t help but laugh when he reached for a sausage to complete his hot dog.


	81. Dating 101

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by lunabelles on Tumblr. The prompt being: "Are you going to kiss me, or are you just going to stand there?" Enjoy!

Once again, Andy was waiting for her right in front of the Ludgate’s big white house. It was the same spot as every morning, at the same hour as always, when the first sunbeams barely lightened the streets. Still, he would never get bored of this routine. Much on the contrary, this was one of his favorite moments of the day; the thought of seeing April again was the only thing that would get him out of bed before 1 p.m.

Honestly, the whole thing still felt a bit surreal. Andy wasn’t the kind of guy who would think things twice. Sometimes he would have trouble thinking just once. But the fact that this was actually happening, that it was real and not some random dream like those he often had during his shoeshine naps… It was just hard to believe April really wanted to be with him after all, that it wasn’t just a passing fantasy induced by the polish fumes.

So now, as April’s official boyfriend (she hated that word, but Andy couldn’t rack his brains enough to find a better fitting term among his range of vocabulary, let alone that early in the morning), he was more than pleased to pick her up. Because walking together the two miles between her house and City Hall was also a pretty awesome moment of Andy’s days. Except today they wouldn’t be walking at all.

And there she was, her rare smile on that sleepy face the moment she saw him standing on the sidewalk. Andy smiled back at her, suddenly nervous for no apparent reason. Not knowing what to do with his hands, he put them in his pockets.

‘‘Got yourself a nice ride,’’ April said pointing at the old Ford Andy was leaning against.

He watched as she walked down the front porch stairs. There was some awkwardness in her moves, and she approached him with weak, clumsy steps. Was she nervous, too?

‘‘Oh, it’s not mine,’’ Andy explained, scratching the back of his neck. ‘‘It’s Burly’s. I borrowed it for the day.’’

April gave him a skeptical look. ‘‘He has no idea you took it, right?’’

‘‘Right,’’ he confessed. ‘‘Anyway, at least we don’t have to walk today.’’

‘‘Thank God.’’

What now, though? Was he supposed to open the door for her? Probably not, because of equality. Wasn’t that what Leslie always said? Should he hug her first? Maybe not, because (damn!) he’d forgotten to take a shower that morning. Andy’s right hand was getting even sweatier inside his pocket. Shoot, he’d lost a lot of practice. Not that he’d been the best boyfriend before, but that only served as a guide for what _not_ to do. Now, he wanted to do the opposite, to be the best he could be for her. And yet, what could one expect from someone who…?

‘‘Are you going to kiss me or are you just going to stand there?’’ April asked with her hands on her hips.

‘‘Oh, right,’’ Andy came back to Earth.

He chose the first option, of course. Maybe she was his guide for what to do.


	82. Valid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one goes from season one to that deleted scene at the end of season 5 :)

She was a down-to-earth nurse; he was a grungy semi-adult. Could their differences be any more obvious? She saved lives; he made fifty bucks a gig, only to spend it all on beer later in the night. But at least he’d get some fun out of it. Nights were better than mornings, anyway. Because by day, Andy would get extremely bored. So much so that he was starting to worry (humans can actually die of boredom).

As jobless as Andy was, he’d try to keep himself busy at home. First he attempted to fix things around the house, but most times he’d only make them worse, according to Ann. Cleaning was a lost cause, and even mowing the lawn seemed challenging for him. He did make a go of cooking, but Ann wasn’t a big fan of grilled cheese sandwiches. As for those tapes he’d sent to Deal or No Deal, there had been no response. So, over time, he'd almost given up.

Honestly, he felt so stupid. Even Ann, whose kindness and gentleness had no limits at first, was starting to lose her patience. She still had a lot of patients, though. Anyway, the point is she’d make Andy feel even dumber whenever he started a fire by accident. Her scolding was equally loud every time his smelly experiments went wrong. Not only did Ann’s words make him feel like a child, but also clueless, hopeless and incredibly retarded - she had never used that word, yet something in her eyes...

Maybe she was too much for him, maybe they were just not as compatible as they once thought. But boy, he loved her so much. And for her, he was willing to keep trying.

* * *

‘‘I tried to wash your clothes in the dishwasher,’’ Andy began, nervously. ‘‘Just wanted to see what would happen. And what happened is I ruined them all.’’

There he was, screwing things up again. Except this time he couldn’t afford to lose her. Andy braced himself for the well deserved reprimand… But the shouting never came. April didn’t smack him, neither did she pull his hands away from her waist. Instead, she just tapped her fingers on his leg and said:

‘‘Was it fun?’’

‘‘Well, yeah.’’

‘‘Then great!’’

And, as they kissed again, Andy learned a lot about compatibility.


	83. For the Best

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place after Leslie and Ben break up at the end of 4x01.

‘‘But today… There is something else I have to do,’’ Leslie had said before leaving the bullpen with heavy steps, as if walking to a death march. If April hadn’t took Ben’s phone while he was in the shower and looked through all of his text messages, she would have thought her boss was heading to a funeral. And she would have invited herself to it.

Almost an hour later, Leslie came back into the Parks Department, a lost stare on her face and barely blinking. It reminded April of that time they both had the flu and the older woman sneaked into April’s hospital room. The look on Leslie’s face while she dropped the pair of jeans she was wearing as a scarf and stole her medicine had been equally delusional. Except this time, sadness was also in the mix.

Leslie became a little bit more aware of her surroundings when she bumped into one of the gray plastic chairs. April watched her boss as she entered the deputy’s office and sat behind Tom’s desk. Leslie turned on the computer, and a strange wallpaper appeared on the screen – that photo of Tom thinking deeply while holding a tiny cup was freaking everywhere. Not until then did she realize her actual desk was on her right and walked over it.

April was quick to do the math. She sure could expect at least two weeks of living with a gloomy ghost under her roof. If there was something worse than ecstatic Ben singing around the house, that would be depressed Ben not even willing to wash the dishes. But it wasn’t like Leslie could be blamed, either. Plus, she’d just hired Andy as her assistant. And, as much as April wanted to stay out of it, she found herself stepping towards Leslie’s office and begrudgingly sitting on that awful chair that might as well have Ann’s name on it.

‘‘I think you made the right call,’’ April said after a while of being unnoticed. ‘‘He was after your money, anyway.’’

Leslie looked at her for the first time, almost surprised to find April there. Then she half smiled, as if suddenly remembering she needed to act like nothing had happened.

‘‘Oh, hi, April. Sorry, what did you say?’’

‘‘I said this is for the best. I mean, you dumping Ben.’’

‘‘Well,'’ Leslie sighed. ‘‘I didn’t exactly dump… Wait, you knew?’’

‘‘Duh,’’ April rolled her eyes. ‘‘It’s not like Ben would go out much before you two started dating,’’ she avoided telling her about the spying on his phone. ‘‘Plus, the memo definitely said ‘cute butt.’’’

‘‘Damn it,’’ Leslie said under her breath. ‘‘Please, don’t tell anyone. If they find out, my campaign…’’

‘‘I won’t, okay? Relax.’’

‘‘Okay,’’ her boss exhaled. ‘‘Thanks.’’

The blonde woman looked at April once more, her eyes getting even more watery now. She then glanced at Donna, who seemed busy by the coffee cart, probably to make sure she hadn’t heard anything.

‘‘That’s what’s important now, right?’’ April reminded her. ‘‘Your campaign?’’

‘‘Yeah,’’ Leslie nodded, staring back at her. ‘‘Yeah, you are right.’’

‘‘You’ll win, and this won’t be all for nothing.’’

Sliding her arm across the table, Leslie reached for April’s hand. The latter took it in hers without even thinking and gave it a little squeeze. They smiled at each other for a moment. It wasn’t just the gratitude for Andy’s new job (or everything Leslie had ever done for her, really), but something else. April just couldn’t stand to see her this sad, and she hated Ben even more simply because he was the easiest target for her frustration.

‘‘Or whatever,’’ April said, removing her hand when the spell broke. She turned her head to check if Donna was still oblivious of the whole situation, and sighed in relief when she saw her doing her nails for the second time that day. ‘‘Anyway,’’ April stood up. She should indeed stay out of it. ‘‘You probably have a speech to write and everything, so…’’

‘‘Oh, d’you wanna help me with that?’’ Leslie asked, smiling for real this time as though she’d just had the best idea ever.

Work always worked for her, if that even made sense. Leslie was lucky to have something that would take her mind off things so easily…

‘‘C’mon, it’ll be fun!’’

Ugh. Where was that nurse on those few occasions when she was actually needed? But of course, April stayed and helped. And, of course, she added a bunch of satanic words Leslie had to correct with Liquid Paper right before the public announcement.


	84. Alike

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to lunabelles for this amazing idea that got me out of my writer's block! <3

Jack was not even 3 yet, but still some of his personality traits were starting to show. And, even though his mother would love him to the moon and back no matter what, sometimes she wished he were a bit more like Andy, or at least less like her. Because, for better or for worse, April and Jack’s similarities went beyond the mere likes and dislikes. It wasn’t just a matter of hating cotton candy and loving Marceline Abadeer’s spin-off. It had more to do with Jack’s withdrawn nature, and his reticence when it came to meeting new people.

The good thing was, there were a few exceptions to the norm. But even those exceptions tended to match April’s preferences, and she couldn’t be gladder Leslie was one of them. Otherwise, she would have had to find someone else to take care of Jack whenever both Andy and herself had things to do. Things like, let’s say, delivering a second baby. Just an adorable bundle of joy with almost edible blonde curls and Andy’s green eyes. Not that big of a deal.

But, as much as Jack had chosen to like aunt Leslie, it seemed virtually impossible to get him off April’s lap after the governor dropped him off at the Ludgate-Dwyer’s. He even told April he’d missed her, but only when it was the three of them in the hall, and even then it had been a whisper, phrased quietly for April’s ears only. And, as endearing as that had been, it also catered her concerns about what was about to happen.

 

‘‘You ready to meet your sister, buddy?’’ Andy asked excitedly, offering his arms. Jack accepted his father’s embrace (he was one of his exceptions), and April’s sore muscles -her whole body, actually, considering she’d gone into labor not that long ago– felt nothing but relief.

Once in the nursery room, the couple walked over to the crib, where a tiny baby slept without a care in the world. Since Andy was still holding Jack, he didn’t have to scoop him up so he could see Natalie for the first time ever. Not that Jack wanted to do such thing, anyway. Instead, the toddler turned around in Andy’s arms and hid his face against his father’s collarbone.

‘‘No,’’ was all Jack said.

‘‘What’s wrong?’’ Andy’s face was etched with confusion. ‘‘Oh, he thinks I’m gonna put him inside,’’ he laughed. ‘‘Don’t worry, Jack, you’re not sleeping here tonight, or ever. This is just so you can see her better. C’mon…’’

But Jack wouldn’t change his position. If anything, he buried his face even more against Andy’s shoulder. Then, he let out a grumpy grunt to make sure his point was being understood. And, by April at least, it was.

‘‘He’s not in the mood,’’ April said knowingly. Although there was a part of her that wondered if he would ever be, a worry that would have been way harder to deal with had she been any less exhausted. ‘‘Give him time. Let’s try again tomorrow.’’

The look on Andy’s face was somewhere in between disappointment and understanding. The latter won the bout eventually, and once in Jack’s room, they tucked him in and left the door ajar, just like he liked it.

* * *

_She hasn’t made a sound._

The thought sneaked into April’s dream like a friendly reminder. It was weird. She was back at the Parks Department, except she was the director now, and the room was swarming with annoying (and annoyed) citizens.

_What if something’s happened to her?_

That second thought was way more frightening than the idea of facing a bunch of Pawneeans. Scary enough to wake her up in the middle of the night, her forehead all clammy even though it was well into January. Andy slept peacefully by her side, snoring softly. Gently removing his arm from her waist, April got out of bed and rushed to check if her daughter was okay.

But April’s dash ended suddenly by the nursery’s doorway. Another silhouette could be seen in the moonlight. The figure was standing right next to the crib, and soon enough a hand was held out, trying to reach the baby… through the gaps between the crib rails, since Jack was too short to proceed otherwise. April stood there and watched as his son stroked Natalie’s cheek, so carefully, as if he thought her easily breakable.

‘‘I like you,’’ Jack whispered, just like he’d done to April after Leslie brought him home.

Sure that rascal thought no one would ever know about this. Nice try.

‘‘She’s cute, isn’t she?’’ April asked from the threshold.

Jack turned around, startled by her unexpected appearance.

‘‘Don’t worry,’’ she knelt down next to Jack. ‘‘I won’t tell anyone.’’

April took Natalie’s tiny hand in hers, and the baby grabbed one of her fingers. Jack watched, his mouth half-open. Everything looked blue under that huge full moon, but the satellite was their only witness, like a curious neighbor peeking in from outside the window.

‘‘Except for dad, of course,’’ April laughed, poking the tip of Jack’s nose playfully.

Jack didn’t seem to care. Instead, he half smiled and looked at his sister’s hand.

‘‘Wanna try?’’

Jack nodded, and then he let that small hand wrap around one of his fingers. He chuckled, and that made April laugh with a similar sound. Even their laughter sounded the same. And she couldn’t be more proud.


	85. Not a Bad Day

One would have thought things would get better the moment April was told she didn’t have to attend college anymore. No more lobotomized youngsters, no more battlefield hallways, no more useless lessons taught the worst way possible. The only thing left to do was that stupid internship, and then it all would be over. But the truth was, she’d wake up everyday to the same old shit.

For starters, April had no idea what she would do next. She’d ended up studying Communications on a dare with Orin –at the time she couldn’t have cared less about her career- and now she kind of wished someone had stopped her. There was no plan B for those kinds of degrees, or at least she couldn’t see one.

Besides having no future and a single friend who barely spoke, April was dating two guys that, despite being the least terrible among her peers, didn’t give a damn about her. April was no fool, and she could tell. Deep down, she knew she was just a temporary third wheel to spice up Derek and Ben’s relationship for a while. But, as much as they were using her, April was using them too. After all, she desperately needed some distractions. Otherwise, all those thoughts would haunt her, and remain stuck in her brain like the lamest song.

Working at the Parks Department wasn’t helping April much in that sense. She barely had any work to do, and writing fake reviews on the Internet was getting old, anyway. That day in particular promised to be extremely boring, like, Gus Van Sant’s _Gerry_ boring. Or Jerry himself. The entire Parks crew had gone on a hunting trip and, since the whole shoot-an-animal-for-fun was definitely not on April’s short list of interests, she’d refused to go. Now, the only thing she had to do was reading a stupid number out loud, but no one would answer the phone. April’s reserve of patience emptied as her bladder filled, and if she had to listen to that on hold music for one more minute, she would have no other choice but to burn the whole place down.

But then, a tall figure walked past the bullpen door. Apart from its height, the plaid and the apron on top were unmistakable.

‘‘Andy!’’ April called impulsively. She would have called anyone, considering she was like two seconds away from peeing herself. ‘‘Can you come here, please?’’

Andy quickly turned around and stepped into the office.

‘‘Yeah, what’s up?’’ He almost seemed worried, like he could give a damn about whatever she might need. And the way he’d said that, the way he’d entered the room… April wondered if anyone else would have responded that way, or heard her calling even.

She hastily gave him the instructions in case those morons answered, and then rushed towards the restroom.

* * *

The sun was still setting as April walked down the street, another sign that the days were getting longer and stupid summer was near. But she didn’t give much thought to it that evening. She just… enjoyed the silence. The absence of noise wasn’t exactly on her surroundings: the sound of TVs and families having dinner came from inside those suburban homes, and a car would pass her by every once in a while. No, the real quietness was inside April’s mind, and the novelty of it made her slow her pace, savor every bit of it.

That one was supposed to be the lamest day of her lame life. Instead, she’d had a pretty good time with none other than Andy Dwyer, the sweaty, dorky guy from the shoe shine stand. Before that day, he’d never caught her eye. And pretty sure he didn’t know she even existed. Of course they’d seen each other around, but April tended to blend in pretty well when she wanted to. Still, having been noticed by someone (by someone nice and somehow cool, that is), hadn’t been that bad. She might have had fun, even. She might have found a distraction.


	86. Weird

As much as April loved any kind of curse, there was nothing appealing about the one she’d been under since the very moment she tore her way out of the womb. Apparently, she was doomed to always make the wrong choice, even when she didn’t have any choices to make. Last time she’d made a decision, though, she could indeed have picked better. If it hadn’t been for the curse, that is.

But, of course, she’d had to move away from the only place she’d ever felt comfortable at (April loved Pawnee as much as she hated the people who lived there), making Andy leave his beloved hometown with her. If he wasn’t still playing for kids every once in a while and being the usual happy, the guilt’s gnawing at her would have eaten away each and every one of her organs. But Andy seemed fine despite of her mistakes, so at least she was the only one who had to deal with the consequences of her actions.

Okay, maybe she was being a bit overdramatic. After all, that job at the American Service Foundation was the closest thing to finding a purpose she’d ever experienced in terms of what to do for a living. And April would eventually be good at it, she knew that deep down. But that was hard to see on days like this. Days when she would screw everything up at work, when instructions from her superiors seemed to be given in all languages but English, when having lunch with her colleagues was as tiring as running a marathon. Or maybe two. And when everything she would say made her feel dumber than her most incompetent co-worker.

On days like this, Andy’s excited greeting after seeing her back home was answered with a weak ‘‘hi’’ and a lost gaze. He would watch her drag towards their bedroom, disappointed at first, and then acutely aware of her state. They both knew those episodes were temporary, that she’d get better after an hour or two away from every sound and every human being, except maybe him. That her job made her happy, but bad days would still happen.

That day, she did want Andy close to her. She grabbed him by the hand and they both walked over their bed, where April sank down with a heavy sigh after kicking off her heels. He nestled against her back, and then put one arm around her waist, hugging her just like she needed.

‘‘Bad day?’’ Andy asked, kissing the side of her neck.

‘‘Uh-huh,’’ she almost whispered.

Andy said nothing else. There was no need to. Before long, he started playing with her hair, gently enough for it not to end up being annoying, soothingly enough she could feel herself drifting into slumber as the tension left her sore muscles. But April didn’t want to sleep. She needed to be aware of his presence, of his touch, of the heat radiating from his huge body, warming up both her skin and her soul. She couldn’t afford to miss any of that.

After a while, April turned around in his arms and used the recently gained energy to kiss her husband, a wordless _thank you_ to which he responded in the same language.

* * *

The sun had crawled slowly across their bedroom, as it usually does by the end of spring, when something popped up in April’s brain, like a battery fully charged notification. Her stomach chimed in right after, demanding the food it’d been deprived of since that stupid lunch, where she’d barely touched her meal.

‘‘You hungry, babe?’’

‘‘Yeah,’’ April yawned. ‘‘Actually, I have this whim for…’’

‘‘Pizza?’’ Andy interrupted, a wide smile on his face.

‘‘Pancakes,’’ she laughed. ‘‘But we can have both.’’

‘‘Awesome!’’ He reached for the phone, but his finger froze before pressing the first number. ‘‘You sure you’re okay?’’

‘‘Yeah. It’s just…’’

Going over the whole thing again was probably the last thing she needed. On the other hand, April didn’t want him to worry more than he should. Plus, she was feeling way better by now, so she explained herself.

‘‘That sucks,’’ Andy frowned. ‘‘Anyway,’’ he shrugged, ‘‘sure you’ll do better in time. That’s what happened to me with all my jobs… And I’ve had a lot of ‘em!’’

‘‘Yeah, you were great at everything,’’ she half smiled.

‘‘So are you, babe! Plus, someone told me once that no one really knows what they’re doing at work.’’

April’s smile got wider then. It felt like ages ago that it was Andy who was lost back in London. He ended up doing an awesome job there, too. As for that advice of hers, it didn’t exactly apply to her current situation. Because, unlike ever before, she needed to understand every aspect of her job. And, for the first time, she _wanted_ to.

‘‘Oh, I almost forget!’’ he exclaimed, opportunely distracting her. ‘‘I have something to show you.’’

‘‘What is it?’’

‘‘You’ll see.’’

April complained with a childish moan; he just chuckled in response.

* * *

The food arrived not long after Andy had called both JJ’s and Domino’s, and they ate it all in bed because why not. There was a smart TV in the room, and apparently that was all Andy needed to show her the surprise. It was a GryzzlTube compilation of videos Andy had spent the day selecting for her. The playlist featured the independent stories of the weirdest people on earth: a teenager obsessed with the smell of dolls (their heads in particular), a man whom water would make drunk so he would drink vodka instead, an old woman who had so many books she had to sleep on them. Just weird people.

April savored the maple syrup mixed with the soft dough, but as much as she wanted to keep chewing, there was no way she could stop smiling. She reached for Andy’s free hand and gave it a little squeeze.

‘‘You like it?’’ he asked, intertwining his fingers with hers.

‘‘I _love_ it,’’ April corrected him.

Andy smiled at her as if April’s reaction had been the only gift he wanted in return. Then, he seemed to have remembered something.

‘‘Oh, my God, babe. It was you who told me that!’’

April elbowed him playfully as she shook her head, that comforting smile still on her face.

Among all the weirdness and, more importantly, next to him, there was little room for right and wrong, for rules and expectations, even for consequences. Not once did normal people disturb her peace of mind, judge her manners, force her into the Big Machine. Now, it was just them, aisled inside that bubble, watching those strangers being strange, and above all, not caring. Not caring about anything but each other.


	87. Then and Now

Eduardo slept soundly by her side. His snoring resounded on the walls of that mansion, making them shake with each exhalation. Yet, that wasn’t the reason April was still awake at 4 in the morning. Thoughts of her life back in Pawnee would assault her every so often, but it got way, way worse at night, when that jerk had no energy left to try and distract her. He never really did, though.

Not that she wasn’t ever going back home -she had a plan, after all-. But there was something missing, and the more she thought about it, the more she realized it had nothing to do with Orin, Natalie, her parents or just the place itself. It was not the life she led there, and work was out of the picture. Except maybe for one thing. Or, should she say, somebody.

No. April wasn’t that kind of person. She was above any kind of begging for anyone’s attention, let alone when that someone had treated her like shit. A flashback struck her, and April sat up in the bed, resting her back against the leather headboard. She could almost see Andy right before her, kissing that stupid nurse just moments after he gave April the one thing she’d been wanting for almost a year. Ugh, maybe she was the stupid one.

Of course April wouldn’t come back to him – she would get back at him. She wouldn’t drag. She would despise her own misery; all suffering was pointless, unjustified. As was love. She had to stay strong. She. Had. A. Plan.

* * *

‘‘April!’’ she heard someone call. The voice came from the other side of the courtyard… No, farther, from inside the building past it. Still, it was perfectly audible around the whole Parks Department.

Andy was the last person she wanted to see, but there was something she needed to show him. Stay strong, Ludgate.

‘‘April!’’ he repeated as he ran towards her.

It was hard to believe a guy his size could be that fast. His sandy hair fluttered backwards except for his temples, where it remained stuck down with sweat. April tried to find it disgusting. She really tried. But the worst thing was his smile. Andy was smiling at her like she was a freaking gold bar. Or, in his case, a dog cookie inside a video game box. April couldn’t remember the last time someone had been so happy to see her. She tried not to think about it. She really tried.

‘‘Where have you been?’’ he asked as soon as he reached the bullpen. ‘‘Oh, my God.’’

April’s heart skipped a beat against her will. Her lungs ached. Her voice was definitely going to shake and give her away. She could only say:

‘‘Hey,’’ and then she smiled, as if she wasn’t dying inside. Because she freaking wasn’t.

‘‘How are you?’’ he asked.

* * *

 _How are you?_ It’s not that hard to ask. For fuck’s sake, it’s not even a long, complex question. The spelling is simple enough for anyone to pronounce it; even non-native speakers learn it at a young age. Yet, people never ask such thing _. What’s up, what are you up to, how are things going_ … those are their favorite alternatives. _Let’s not get emotional. Plus, I don’t really care about you, this is just the required small talk._ Thus, April adapted.

But then, Andy came along. And he asked. Not once, not twice, but every single day. Most people would find this annoying, but not April. The truth is, she needs that more than anything.

Andy sleeps peacefully beside her, one arm over her waist. His body heat keeps her warm. Oh, and she is sleeping, too.


	88. Forget to Forget You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is kind of a continuation of the previous chapter. Brighter fics will come, I promise.

Say what you want about Venezuela, but don’t underestimate Venezuelan parties. Especially if they happen in huge mansions with olive-skinned hunks all over the place, and enough booze to fill up one of its huge pools. Yeah, these South American parties are just crazy, a paradise for anyone wanting to lose control with no consequences (or memories) to face the following morning.

Except April wasn’t one of these people. She wasn’t there for the dancing, and meeting new people was definitely not on her to-do list. She wouldn’t have had any decent conversation with any of those morons, anyway. But Eduardo wanted to go and, since she’d planned to drag him back to Pawnee with her at some point, there were some things April just had to say yes to.

But partying was always easier said than done, and soon enough she found herself overwhelmed by all the noise and the twerking, and everything young people did. She’d tried to drink at first in a sad attempt to make it bearable, but it only made the sounds louder, and people turned even more annoying. Although Martinis did help her with those Andy-related thoughts that would have otherwise tormented her with no mercy.

Still, the less she thought about Andy, the harder it was to remember why she was doing all that to begin with. So, April didn’t exactly want to forget about him. Just numb the pain for a while, preferably somewhere far from all the fuss, and quiet enough so her brain wouldn’t explode.

It didn’t take long for April to find such a safe place – one glare was enough to get a gross couple out of one of the many bathrooms. She locked the door and sat on the floor, her back against the side of the bath, since what those two had been doing on the toilet was anyone’s guess.

And then, something wonderful happened: she was alone. After taking one last sip of her drink, April grabbed her cell phone from her pocket. She knew she shouldn’t, but she couldn’t help it. Just ten minutes, or at least two, a brief break from all the self-imposed boundaries. A moment to let go, to let herself feel, to ignore the voice of Reason and forget about that stupid plan. She knew it only seemed stupid because of the alcohol.

“This is like the 200th message I've left you without a response. So, if you're trying to tell me something, I do not know what it is because you won't call me back.”

He might not have sent her 200 messages exactly (that one was the 68th at best), but April had listened to them just as many times. Never in front of Eduardo, of course; she’d managed to find some privacy, especially during those nights when all the memories wouldn’t let her sleep. She’d usually have a clear mind for as long as the sun was visible, but nights were confusing. And this one was no exception.

In fact, she felt even worse than most nights: as lonely as she’d ever been, and thus, weaker than ever. Desperate enough to respond.

‘‘Hey, it’s me, April. Please, stop calling me. What are you, some kind of stalker?”

April paused for a moment; her voice sounded muffled, as if coming from another room. Plus, that was not what she really wanted to say.

“Stop calling me, because you are only making things worse. I fucking miss you, Andy. I do. But you can’t take back what you did, so you stay with that perfect nurse of yours. You have nothing to win here, anyway. And neither do I. I just… I can’t win against her. So why are you still… in my brain? Please… Please, get out.’’

Her voice broke at the end. Things were still kind of blurry around her. Even the phone screen was fuzzy, so she pressed one random contact before passing out on the linoleum floor.

* * *

“Well, I got my answer,” Andy entered Leslie’s office, falling onto the rusty chair by her desk. “About April. She hates me.”

_No, she does not._

“Yeah. And she got a boyfriend, I guess. From some city in Mexico,” he said desperately. Andy would get extremely sweaty when he was upset – and only fairly when he wasn’t. Now, his face was all red and glistened with sweat. He seemed breathless. “So what do I do?”

“Okay,” Leslie said, and then she took some time to think carefully before she spoke.

There were some things she knew but couldn’t share. As much as Leslie wanted them to get together, April had to be able to make her own choices, at her own pace. Plus, they’d never talked about that message. Both April and herself knew, but they had never brought it up. And something in the young girl’s eyes told Leslie it was best not to. The point was, Andy did have a chance. So, maybe, feeding his hope wouldn’t hurt.

“Well,” she went on. “When your back's against the wall and odds are stacked against you, you just…You swing the hardest, damn it!”

And then, Leslie realized there was no such thing as false hope. There was hope for Andy, and there was hope for the Parks Department. All they had to do was to work their hardest.

“You go big or you go home.”


	89. Light and Dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by lunabelles on Tumblr.  
> I merged her two prompts into one: cuddling while someone's sick + falling asleep :3 Enjoy!

‘‘Honey? I’m home!’’ Andy called from the hall as he tossed the keys on the small, wooden table Ron had made for them and brought to D.C. himself. The man still didn’t trust shipping companies.

There was no response, which was weird. Yes, normally it was April who would come home late, only to find him fixing them something in the kitchen for dinner. Leslie was a great teacher, and those reality cooking shows were on every channel these days. So, as time went on, Andy’s dishes had become a little less greasy, and a bit more tasteful.

But not tonight, though, since Andy had been out all afternoon for one of his Johnny Karate shows. As much as April hated them, those suburban families really knew their way around birthdays, cakes, and bouncy castles. The parties tended to end later as the summer days got longer, and, by the time he got home, April was usually there already.

Thus, Andy found it strange when he stepped into an empty living room, and then into an equally desert kitchen.

‘‘Babe?’’ he called again.

Nothing.

It was still soon to worry. Maybe she was in the garage, counting spiders. Or taking a shower, in which case he could join her. The latter possibility led him to check upstairs first.

Much to Andy’s disappointment, the bathroom was empty. But, much to his relief, the house wasn’t. He knew that as soon as he heard a familiar groan coming from their bedroom.

‘‘April?’’ he stuck his head in the door. It was completely dark inside; Andy could barely see anything.

Another grunt answered. A grunt he loved, as he loved everything about her. Yet, as Andy had learned, hate had a way of hiding in the dark alleys of affection. He’d found himself hating certain things on this path they call marriage, things like being a passive witness of her sadness, unable to do anything about it, or the fact that there was a law about not punching mean bosses in the face. Not that he would have, but Ron was just one call away, and sure he didn’t trust hitmen either. The point was, love had its ups and downs, just like bouncy castles did.

Tonight was a down night, and, despite his usual obliviousness, he did know when to leave. With a heavy sigh, Andy closed the door, willing to give her the time she sure needed. Maybe he could take Champion for a walk in the meantime.

‘‘No, Andy!’’ April’s muffled voice called. ‘‘Come in.’’

Andy obliged, smiling again even though there was probably no reason to.

‘‘Close the door,’’ she said after he entered the room.

Andy did as told, and then he walked over the bed. He still couldn’t see, and stumbled with what he later learned were April’s heels.

Slipping under the sheets, he cuddled up next to her, a hand over her flat belly, which he’d later learn wasn’t actually that flat.

‘‘Bad day?’’ he asked.

‘‘No,’’ she said softly. ‘‘It was a pretty good day, actually.’’

There was something in the way she’d said that, something that made him even more curious about that day’s events.

‘‘Wha-’’

‘‘Headache,’’ she said before letting out another moan.

April turned in his arms and pecked him on the lips. Andy’s fingers groped for her cheek in the dark, and stroked it when they finally found it.

‘‘Where?’’ he asked.

She grabbed his hand with hers and guided it to her upper eyelid.

‘‘It’s like a fucking drill or something,’’ April complained.

Gently, Andy started to rub one finger above her left eye, drawing invisible circles on her skin. No groan met his move. Instead, she breathed out as if the drill had lost some of its power.

‘‘Good?’’

 ‘‘Yeah. Don’t stop.’’

And, of course, he didn’t. Not until she was fast asleep in his arms and every dark alley was illuminated by the sunrise.


	90. Reunions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by the greatgreatgreat lunabelles on Tumblr as "Family Reunion" =)

_Pawnee, 2053_

Another chill ran down Natalie’s spine, as it usually happened whenever she decided to drop by her brother’s house instead of meeting him at some random diner. Well, at least she wouldn’t have to pay for both of them this time… which she never minded, but watching him that broke was extremely saddening. Yet, despite his lack of money, Jack might as well be living somewhere nicer, like their parent’s old house, or that cabin in the woods they’d purchased so long ago. Why, then, had he had to choose the creepiest, bleakest neighborhood to live in?

‘‘Because that’s what Jack does,’’ Nat muttered to herself.

The sound of her own voice calmed her a bit. Plus, it wasn’t like she was the only one talking to herself in those dark streets. A bearded, dirty man approached her with an empty needle in his hand and asked if she was a nurse.

‘‘I’m not. Sorry,’’ Natalie answered sincerely. Why someone would want to be jabbed with a needle was beyond her. Those things were scary. ‘‘I’m just a kindergarten teacher,’’ she shrugged. ‘‘But I could take you to the hospit-’’

‘‘NAT!’’ a familiar voice called from across the street.

The girl looked up and smiled when she saw Jack running towards her. He was wearing one of those silver pants that hadn’t been fashionable since 2049, and a wide, sleeveless shirt that made him look like a basketball player, except it was covered in paint stains instead of the usual squad number.

‘‘Hey,’’ Jack said, putting an arm around her waist and making her spin. As if he was in a rush, he pushed her a bit so she would walk beside him, away from that guy that apparently wanted some more. Some more of what? ‘‘What are you doing here?’’

‘‘Just looking for you. Wait, we should help that-’’

‘‘Well, you could’ve just called,’’ he interrupted. ‘‘I don’t like you coming here.’’ Jack walked faster as he spoke, his arm still around Nat’s shoulders.

‘‘I did! But David wouldn’t answer. You should get your own phone.’’

‘‘I hate talking to people. About things. Especially on the phone.’’

‘‘I know,’’ Nat sighed.

Not long after, Jack swerved to the right, and suddenly that place seemed a lot less menacing. There it was - the shabby, wooden house he’d insisted to move into only because…

‘‘C’mon,’’ Jack let go of her for the first time since they’d met that afternoon. ‘‘There’s an awesome sunset today.’’

* * *

If there was anything good about Jack’s spooky place, that was the roof. It was easily accessible from one of the northern windows, and from there it wasn’t too dangerous to get to the west side of the house. At least not with your brother’s help. Sitting in silence, both siblings watched the orange sky before them as the crickets started to chirp.

‘‘So,’’ Natalie broke the ice a while after, ‘‘the reason I wanted to talk to you is-’’

‘‘I know. And I won’t.’’

‘‘But, please,’’ she begged. She almost made that voice that would always work back when they were kids and she wanted a bit of his dessert, since he hadn’t been caught giving Grumpy a marvelous haircut. ‘‘You know how important this is to mom. Do it for her at least.’’

‘‘Yeah, but it’s pointless!’’ Jack almost shouted. ‘‘All those people we barely know, just talking shit about how great of an entertainer dad was… He was much more than that.’’

‘‘I know.’’

‘‘We had enough of it last year,’’ Jack grabbed a loose tile and tossed it frontwards. ‘‘Plus, I live here, I can go whenever. And I can only really talk to him when it’s just us.’’

‘‘I’m just saying… Mom really wants to see you. She misses him every day, and now… Now _it’s just us_.’’

Natalie let the silence in again. Sometimes that was all Jack needed in order to ponder things and make decisions. Just silence and time, and of course she could give him that.

‘‘When is the stupid thing?’’ he asked as the last red portions of the sky turned dark blue.

In any other situation, Nat would have smiled.

‘‘Next Saturday, 10 a.m.’’

‘‘Ugh, why so early, though?’’

‘‘Mom doesn’t sleep much ever since…’’ she sighed. ‘‘Think about it as a family reunion or something. You can always ignore the others.’’

‘‘Okay,’’ Jack scoffed, looking at her like he wouldn’t ever look at anyone else. And then he tousled Nat’s blonde hair, something that he knew very well she hated.

‘‘Stop!’’

‘‘It was already messed up, anyway,’’ he mocked.

‘‘It’s not messed up, dumbass! It’s curly!’’

‘‘Whatever.’’

He gave her the widest smile. Jack’s smiles were as rare as volcanic eruptions, but to Natalie they were twice as warm. Even if he hadn’t agreed to go to their father’s memorial, that grin would have made her trip all the way from Washington worth it.

‘‘Hungry?’’

‘‘Starving,’’ she reached for her backpack to get her phone.

‘‘You make the call, but the pizza is on me.’’

‘‘But-’’

‘‘Don’t worry,’’ Jack rolled his eyes, just like April still did sometimes. ‘‘I made a pretty good deal out of my last painting.’’

This time it was Natalie who smiled wide. She never understood his art, but she’d always been positive someone smarter would someday.

‘‘That’s awesome.’’

Jack pursed his lips and frowned, dreading a compliment that Nat never uttered. She knew him well enough not to. Instead, she grabbed her phone and waited for the waiter’s hologram to appear. If none of Jack’s crazy neighbors shot it, the restaurant’s drone would get there in no time.


	91. Misty Thoughts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested anonymously on Tumblr, the prompt being "parking lot."

April’s morning routine had gotten kind of weird over the last few weeks. Waking up wasn’t a nightmare anymore – bad dreams had become a lot less frequent, by the way. The warm tea and the bar she dared calling a breakfast would have the loudest arguments in her stomach as she stuffed her purse and got ready to go.

It was as if every second she spent away from work was ruled by this nerve-wracking uncertainty. And, as stressful as that could get sometimes, she was fine with it. After all, not knowing what the day would bring was a huge change for someone who had spent four years around the same boring people, and another one doing some internship that had nothing to do with her. She hadn’t even picked that one herself, for God’s sake.

But now… Now things were different, simply because he also was. Not that things could change any further: if there was something April knew (she knew it in the pit of that twisting stomach, in the center of her bones), was that all those pictures of Ann would still be hanging all over the shoe shine stand if the nurse hadn’t been so mad about it.

Still, Andy’s company had become the only thing she would look forward every day and crave every night. What crazy theories, habits or food inventions would he come up with that day? Could she vent about everything to him, wanting just a ‘‘that sucks’’ in return, and actually have it? Or would he run away from her negative… presence?

All these thoughts were making the road ahead too blurry to ‘‘drive safely’’, as her mom told her to every fucking day. Or maybe it was all that early morning fog that often got both sidewalks and people as drenched as if it was actually raining. Whatever it was, it didn’t hinder her vision enough not to spot a tall figure walking down the street. She recognized him instantly, even from behind, not only because of Andy’s trademark clothing, but also by his moves. How much time does one have to spend with another person to subconsciously memorize the way they walk? Was that some kind of friendship milestone? Was that enough?

April stopped the car next to Andy – that one wasn’t exactly a busy street, so the occasional cars could easily pass her by – and rolled the window down.

‘‘Hey,’’ she called. ‘‘Need a ride?’’

‘‘Oh, hey, April!’’ Andy’s face brightened as though she’d made his day just by sparing him the exercise. Except there wasn’t any hint of relief on his expression. Just… plain happiness, as usual. ‘‘Yeah, sure. Thanks,’’ he said as he got in.

‘‘Hey,’’ April said again dumbly. She tightened her grip on the steering wheel because doing that to her own neck was probably not an option.

‘‘Hey,’’ he answered naturally, that warm smile still on his face. ‘‘It’s freezing today.’’

‘‘Nah,’’ she deadpanned. ‘‘You could practically cook an egg on the sidewalk.’’

‘‘I don’t think so,’’ Andy frowned, oblivious to the irony. ‘‘But if you do, don’t wait more than five seconds before you eat it.’’

‘‘Okay,’’ April scoffed.

‘‘Hey, do you have any music?’’ Andy pointed at the old cassette player in the dashboard.

‘‘I wish. Doesn’t work.’’

‘‘Bummer,’’ he pressed the useless buttons nonetheless.

Then he started exploring every inch of the car, from the vanity mirror to the glove compartment, asking what every little thing did, even the most basic ones. Again, something that April would have been extremely bothered by if it hadn’t been Andy.

‘‘I could really use some music, tough,’’ she piped up after a while. ‘‘Aren’t you guys working on a new album?’’

‘‘Yeah, but it’s top secret. Burly says I can’t share anything of it until we have the CD’s ready to sell.’’

‘‘Bummer,’’ she quoted him. They both smiled at each other for maybe too long, considering one of them was driving.

 

Once at City Hall, April drove to the parking lot and pulled in her reserved space… which was actually Jerry’s.

‘‘Here we are,’’ she stated the obvious. Yet none of them made the slightest attempt to open any door. The rest of the day could wait, but how could she put it off forever?

_You’re playing with fire, Ludgate. Get off the car. Screw it._

‘‘Screw it,’’ Andy said.

_It or him?_

‘‘I’m gonna show you my favorite so far. And you tell me what you think, okay?’’

April rolled in her lips and nodded, not even trying to ignore the warm feeling inside her chest. Andy started to sing with that raspy voice of his, something about a lost love and new doors opening and nachos and jumping into puddles, and the fact that there were still cool chicks out there, and new pizza toppings yet to find. Only he could fit all those random things into one song and make something actually good out of it.

The morning mist had almost cleared away by the time he finished, so April could perfectly see Ann heading towards the building’s big entrance. She was holding two cups of coffee, and one didn’t have to be a genius to know one of them (the one with all the whipped cream on top) was for Leslie. Andy didn’t see her, though, since he’d been facing April all the time.

‘‘April?’’

‘‘Sorry, what?’’

‘‘D’you like it?’’

‘‘Yeah,’’ her mind was still somewhere else. ‘‘Yeah, I love it.’’

April tried to smile, but judging from Andy’s face, the result was all but convincing.

‘‘Are you okay?’’

There it was. The almighty question – her weak spot.

‘‘Yes. We- We should get to work,’’ she said before getting out of that car once and for all.

Indeed, there was no way to know what to expect from each day. Would that drive her nuts eventually? Was she already?


	92. Into the Woods

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested anonymously on Tumblr as "forest" :)

Purchasing a cabin in the woods was probably the best idea April had ever had. And they hadn’t even paid much for it. In fact, Ron might as well have given it to them for free. Man, she was so smart. Now it had become their secret hideout, a place to run around, explore caves full of bats and waterholes (which they both loved respectively), and watch together the most amazing sunsets.

The dusk was especially stunning that evening. With his back against the trunk of a tree, Andy kept peering at the horizon as the sun went down. April was cuddled up on his lap, as usual, but apparently she was exhausted after a whole day of hiking. She was finally getting into it, yet exercise wasn’t exactly her thing. April slept peacefully, her head resting on Andy’s collarbone. Absentmindedly, he played with a strand of her hair, not really thinking about anything. Not even the fact that it was getting late, and they still had to walk all the way back to the cabin.

* * *

‘‘Ugh!’’ April said after tripping over a dead limb. Andy kept his wife from face-planting by quickly grabbing her upper arm. ‘‘You should have woken me up earlier.’’

‘‘I couldn’t, babe,’’ he shrugged. ‘‘You are so cute when you sleep.’’

‘‘I don’t care. Now we can’t even find our way home.’’

It was a dark night indeed, but there still were some marks along the way that Andy could easily recognize.

‘‘I know how to find it. Just don’t let go,’’ he reassured her, taking April’s hand in his.

They kept walking down that rough, stony path for a while; the tiny shape of the waning moon as the only source of light. Andy could feel April’s grip strengthening with every stumble, but he’d never let her fall. And, if she wanted to complain along the way, so be it. He just couldn’t bring himself to have any regrets.

At least not until they heard the sounds. Something shook the bushes around them. Or, should one say,  _some things._ April let out a brief, yet terrified scream when said things stamped on the ground way too close. They were as heavy as they were fast - only a pack of lethal creatures could make such sounds. Luckily, Andy’s father had taught him well.

‘‘Walk behind me,’’ he told her in a calm voice.

April did as told, never letting go of his hand and forearm.

‘‘Shit,’’ she whispered. ‘‘What the fuck is that?’’

‘‘Shh. They’re probably just wild boars.’’

‘‘Just?’’

Well, there she had a point. Razorbacks could be pretty dangerous when feeling menaced. But Andy knew exactly what to do. And he needed both hands.

‘‘Just a second,’’ he said so April would loosen her grip. He felt her fingers as they grasped his shirt from behind.

Then he started clapping his hands as loud as possible. They walked forward as he did so, the claps echoing in series of three the whole time. Before long, that was the only sound that remained. Still, he kept doing that until they reached the clearing where the cabin stood. As his old man used to say _, you never know._

‘‘You okay, babe?’’ he asked when they got to the porch.

Andy turned to face her, only to find she looked sick even in the dim light.

‘‘Hey,’’ he wrapped her in his arms. ‘‘It’s okay.’’

‘‘It’s not okay,’’ her words were muffled against his chest. ‘‘You almost get us killed.’’

Andy chuckled, partly because of the adrenaline nonsense, partly because April sounded so tired that that couldn’t even be considered a real complaint.

‘‘Well, I brought us home, didn’t I?’’

‘‘Whatever.’’

Again, she seemed too maxed out to be mad. In fact, Andy was starting to doubt she could even make it to their bedroom. Whilst stress would usually have him laughing at the wrongest times, it would always suck all the energy out of April’s system.

‘‘Come here,’’ he said as he lifted her in his arms, bridal style. ‘‘Let’s get you in bed.’’


	93. Peace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by lunabelles on Tumblr as "birthday party" ^-^

There were indeed some moments of peace from September to June. The majority of them occurred whenever Jack was out of school, though. And it wasn’t just the big, great moments, like beating a hard video game, or biking down the steepest slope in the neighborhood without the slightest skid. It had more to do with those simple things that would always comfort his pain and restore his soul. Even if he was still too little to understand any of those concepts.

It was all about the smallest things. When dad served him the best slice of pizza. When mom gave him an Eskimo kiss. When he wanted to play alone and dad understood without him saying a word. When he needed someone to pass the football and dad was there to catch it. When mom stared in awe at his drawings for maybe too long. And, of course, when dad drove him and Natalie to school. Jack hated to sing along, but loved to listen while they did. Nat would often sing the words wrong, but he didn’t care about that either. He just enjoyed the ride… wishing it would last forever.

Because, at some point, the car would stop. At some point, Andy would walk them to the doors as he’d carry both of their backpacks. His father would then kiss them goodbye and head to the other school, the one he taught at. And he’d never see what usually happened after that.

‘‘Happy birthday again, buddy,’’ Andy said after Nat joined her kindergarten classmates.

‘‘Thanks,’’ was Jack’s idly response, his eyes fixed somewhere else. Specifically, on David Stevens and his two minions. ‘‘When are you coming here?’’ he asked, making a conscious effort to keep his voice from shaking.

‘‘You know, 5 pm as always.’’

‘‘No, I mean, when are you gonna start working here?’’ Maybe, just maybe, people would leave him alone as soon as they knew what a cool father he had.

‘‘Oh,’’ Andy smiled at his hurry, oblivious about half of Jack’s motives. ‘‘Only in a couple of weeks.’’

‘‘Okay.’’

‘‘See you at 5,’’ Andy lifted one hand and gave Jack a high five.

The child smiled as Andy kissed his forehead, but his expression froze when he saw David and the others blowing him a bunch of loveless, mocking kisses behind his father’s back. Their laughter blended in with the other children’s, but at this point Jack could tell those vultures’ guffaws apart from anyone else’s.

Jack watched as his dad left the school property, wishing the next two weeks would pass fast. And his birthday, faster.

* * *

‘‘I know a secret that you don’t,’’ Nat stuck her tongue to him from her booster seat.

Jack shrugged, not even bothering to answer. The last thing he needed was his sister picking on him, too.

‘‘It’s about you,’’ she insisted.

‘‘Nat, what did I tell you? Just, don’t say anything, honey,’’ Andy peered in the rearview mirror. ‘‘Really, mom will be so pissed if we mess this up.’’

Dad knew, too?

‘‘Mess what up?’’ Jack asked, intrigued at last.

‘‘Nothing,’’ Andy said. ‘‘It has nothing to do with your birthday.’’

Nat shook her head to support their father’s statement. ‘‘Or dad’s, or mine, or anyone’s. It has nothing to do with birthdays.’’

‘‘Yeah, sure,’’ Jack sighed. ‘‘Except it has,’’ he muttered.

* * *

Despite being smart enough to find out about the party –not that one had to be a genius considering who’d been in charge of keeping the secret- Jack could not have expected anything like that.

It wasn’t a huge party; there weren’t many people, either. And the ones who were, he genuinely liked. The fact that it was Halloween-themed also helped. Aunt Leslie was there, and so was uncle Ben. Indiana’s governor had been quite busy lately, and Jack hadn’t seen her since last summer. She was the first one he ran to after all the visitors had exclaimed ‘‘SURPRISE’’, even though it had stopped being a surprise about twenty minutes earlier. Leslie’s massive hugs were one of the few Jack could tolerate, and he rejoiced in the woman’s arms.

Ron was also there. The rest of his family hadn’t come, which was more than fine. They always intimidated him for some reason. Tim, the kid next door (and Jack’s best friend), had dropped by, too, as well as the rest of the Wallaces. And of course grandma couldn’t have missed it, either.

Before long, there was no room left in Jack’s mind for sorrow. His bullies might as well never have existed (little did Jack know they would never, ever really leave). Now, it was just cake and funny games, dad’s music just at the right volume, and mom kissing his temple while she held him in her arms, without anyone making any jokes about it.

Now, there was peace.


	94. Foreshadowing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by sweet lunabelles on Tumblr, the prompt being: _do you regret it?_  
>  Takes place right after the _Sweetums_ episode (2x15) :)

It was a nice spring night, so it wasn’t like Andy was going to freeze on his way home. But he didn’t feel like walking the six miles between the Parks department and Burly’s house, not after a whole day carrying Tom’s card boxes downstairs – though Andy still didn’t quite get why they’d ended up taking all his stuff to the Parks office. Was Tom moving there?

There was no way Donna would let him in her Mercedes, considering the mix of sweat and dirt that covered most of his skin. Still, Andy just couldn’t bring himself to ask Mark for a ride home. Even though he’d promised not to hate him, he had yet to come to terms with the fact that the guy did everything and everyone Andy couldn’t do. He had it all, even a pickup truck.

Even a pickup truck.

* * *

‘‘Fuck them, seriously,’’ April said under her breath. ‘‘You don’t really need them.’’

Frustration hit the ground beneath her with every pace, as if every painted line in that parking lot was a strip in one of Ben or Derek’s hipster sweaters. Stepping on their imaginary corpses felt oddly good. After all, it could have been the perfect day if it hadn’t been for them.

April couldn’t remember the last time she’d had so much fun… Maybe that day everyone went hunting, but other than that her mind was blank. And it wasn’t only the fun she’d enjoyed, but also the feeling of not being tired, the chance to let go for a while. But, of course, those two jerks had had to show up and ruin everything.

Those were the thoughts that almost kept her from glimpsing something moving fast on her right. Startled, April turned to face that passing shadow, only to see a tall figure running towards Mark’s truck and clumsily climbing into the open platform behind the cabin.

April didn’t like Mark enough to run back inside and tell him about some robber breaking into his pickup, so she just stood there at first, pondering all her options. But, on second thought, the poor guy was already cursed enough by the fact that he was dating a hag nurse. Reluctantly, she rescued her phone from her bag and dialed Mark’s number.

‘‘Mark?’’ she said when he picked up. ‘‘It’s April.’’

‘‘April?’’

Okay, that wasn’t Mark’s voice. Suddenly, half of Andy’s torso emerged from the back of the truck, his outline lightened vaguely by one of the few streetlights in the lot.

‘‘You suck,’’ April said simply before hanging up.

She walked over the large vehicle, waving at her friend and yes, feeling good again.

‘‘What are you doing in there?’’ she chuckled.

‘‘Waiting for Mark,’’ Andy scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed.

‘‘I didn’t know you guys were friends.’’

‘‘Oh, we are not,’’ he laughed at the idea. ‘‘I just need a ride home, and he doesn’t live too far from Burly’s, so... Yeah, I guess I’m just hiding here.’’

‘‘Why don’t you ask him instead? That loser can’t say no to anyone.’’

‘‘Well, I don’t-’’

Oh. Of course. Mark had the girl of his dreams and all the same old bullshit.

‘‘I get it,’’ she said, despite not really getting it at all. ‘‘Well, have a good ride,’’ April headed towards the exit, certainly not feeling that good now.

‘‘Huh, wait!’’

Why? Why had she turned around so fast? So easily?

‘‘D’you wanna come? Your house is also in that area, isn’t it?’’ Andy smiled at her as if he’d just had the best idea ever. ‘‘C’mon, it’ll be fun!’’

Fun. The opposite of fun was terrifying. Andy could be a lot of things, including a jerk in love with an undeserving slut. But he could also be her escape. Before she knew it, her lips were rolling in, her hand was taking his, and they were lying face up on the rear bed of Brendanawicz’s truck.

* * *

According to Mark’s last phone conversation, Leslie had already dropped the nurse off at her house (that’s why she’d been nowhere to be found in City Hall). Thus, Mark drove straight to his home and went inside shortly after parking next to his front yard.

As for the ride itself, it was fine. The starry sky seemed motionless above them, even though all the laws of physics proved they were moving quite fast through the night. Not that Andy or April could see the streets passing by on their sides from that position, but their bodies would sway with every curve and bounce with every bump in the road. Every now and then, the momentum would bring them even closer to each other, which had April thinking of those hugs he would give her occasionally… And what harm could another one do?

‘‘I think we are off the hook,’’ Andy whistled as soon as they heard Mark’s front door shutting close.

Still, Andy made no effort to get up. He kept lying on his back, first looking at the stars, then at her. April turned her head to meet his eye, and, for a moment, that was all that existed. Actually, her idea of fun had little to do with parties (that was another nonsense Derek and Ben had dragged her to), and more to do with this. He smiled, and she couldn’t help but smile back at him. April looked up at the black sky again, lest fun become something else. Yet, she didn’t even bother to sit up, either. There was something quite comforting about the way their bodies were still pressed to each other, shoulder against shoulder.

‘‘Thank you for this,’’ she said. ‘‘I really needed it.’’

‘‘Is everything okay?’’

‘‘Yes,’’ April responded automatically. After all, that was the default answer required by any small talk. But since when did she and Andy do small talk?

He waited, yet his silence didn’t seem to stem from a lack of care, but from a deep understanding of privacy and personal space. Andy didn’t understand how most things worked, but, unlike everybody else, he did seem to get how April’s mind operated. She still wasn’t sure what that meant, or how _fun_ was supposed to fit into that aspect of their relationship.

‘‘It’s just… Derek and Ben are idiots,’’ she let the words flow.

‘‘Did they hurt you?’’

With her gaze fixed on the sky, April couldn’t really see his face. But she would have bet all she had in her purse he was frowning. She could picture every detail, the exact way those sandy eyebrows were probably meeting in the middle of his glowing forehead.

‘‘Kind of.’’

_By insulting you._

‘‘I don’t know why I thought this could work,’’ she went on. ‘‘I only hooked up with Derek once or twice, I think I was drunk both times, and next thing I know, I’m way too deep into this… thing, and Ben is also in the picture somehow. Seems stupid.’’

‘‘It’s not,’’ Andy said, an honest tone in his voice.

April rolled to one side and pressed her forehead against Andy’s shoulder. It hadn’t been anything like a planned move, but more like a natural change of position. She didn’t even think of the consequences, nor did she consider if he’d think she was crossing the line. April exhaled deeply, wondering how she’d ended up in that situation. And why she wanted to stay like that forever, even if that meant not seeing Derek ever again.

‘‘Do you regret it?’’ Andy asked after a while. He talked so low, as though his words could break something inside her. Little did he know those were the only ones that couldn’t.

‘‘I don’t know,’’ she sighed. ‘‘I think so. I don’t know.’’

‘‘Well, I guess all we can do is wait for the stars to give us an answer,’’ he said, and April had to lift her head to see whether or not he was joking. ‘‘At least that’s what my old man used to say.’’ Apparently, he wasn’t.

‘‘No offense to your dad, but I hate the stars,’’ April teased him.

‘‘Then why have you been staring at them all night?’’

April bit her lip, keeping the real answer to herself. Instead, she asked:

‘‘And what are they telling you right now?’’

Andy turned his head at her, completely oblivious to her mocking tone. April’s eyes got caught in his again, or maybe it was the other way around. And then, he smiled again.

‘‘That you are going to be okay.’’

And, for some reason, she believed him. For the first time, she believed that.


	95. Not Today

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by lunabelles on Tumblr, the prompt being _we need to talk about what happened last night._  
>  Warning for themes of depression.

Andy was bursting with excitement in the car on their way home. He looked like an overjoyed puppy that couldn’t wait to get to the park, except Andy’s recreational place would have to be seen through the TV screen. April knew how long he’d been waiting for that moment; he hadn’t stopped talking about that video game for months now, and, at last, the releasing day had come.

Andy was reading the praising critics on the back cover as she drove, when that thing first stirred in April’s chest. It sure wasn’t the first time she felt like that, but she didn’t expect it to come that day – she’d been fine all morning. More than fine, actually, because Andy’s happiness was always so contagious, and their night plan had had him even more ecstatic than usual. But now that her chest had decided to ache for no reason at all, she knew the rest of the day would be lost.

* * *

‘‘Babe?’’ Andy called her from the living room. ‘‘I got everything set already!’’

April couldn’t even find the strength to answer. She could picture it all: the popcorn bowls and all the other snacks, her favorite blanket spread on the floor and Andy waiting for her to snuggle up in his lap and watch him play, like they usually did. But not today.

Andy’s steps sounded louder as he approached their bedroom. He stopped, probably the moment he saw the door was closed. Andy knew what that meant, and April hated herself for it. Because it was as unfair as it was irrational – there was really no need to put that weight on his shoulders, and yet there she lay, unable to get up, unable to preserve his happiness.

‘‘Babe?’’ he knocked on the door.

‘‘Come in,’’ she managed to say.

He did as told, and his following expression was the only thing sadder than his lack of surprise. April hadn’t quite closed the blinds, so the evening sun could still make its way through the curtains. Everything was bathed in that orange light, but, despite the warmth of said color, April was as cold as she’ll ever be. There was only one remedy, one that she desperately needed, but definitely wouldn’t ask for.

Without a second thought, Andy kicked his shoes off and lay down on his side of the bed, propping his head on his hand.

‘‘No, honey,’’ April rolled over to face him. ‘‘Go play that st- awesome game, okay? I’m fine, really.’’

‘‘I’ll go if you don’t want me here, but I’m not playing today.’’

‘‘It’s not that,’’ she rolled her eyes. ‘‘But you’ve been dying to get your hands on that game for ages.’’

Andy’s free hand slid up and down her back, as if to prove her wrong.

‘‘We can play tomorrow. Or whenever. We’ll wait till Ben’s favorite nerd show is on so he can’t watch it.’’

In any other situation, with any other rational body (mind?), that would have made her laugh. But not today. Instead, she cried. She cried until Andy’s plaid was drenched in tears. She cried until she ran out of those. She cried until consciousness abandoned her, but Andy’s arms never did.

* * *

Usually, things got better in the morning. So much so, that April would instantly regret whatever had happened before her new state – there was no way it could have been that serious, and sure there were other people who had it worse. Now, with a clear mind, she couldn’t feel more stupid and self-centered. She just wanted to forget about it.

‘‘Morning,’’ Andy mumbled around his mouthful of cereal.

‘‘Hi,’’ she smiled at him and kissed his forehead. ‘‘Where’s Ben?’’

‘‘Shower.’’

April fixed herself a cup of tea and stole some flakes from Andy’s bowl.

‘‘Hey, huh…’’ he began. ‘‘I think… Maybe we need to talk about, you know… what happened last night?’’

‘‘Babe,’’ she sighed. ‘‘There’s nothing to talk about, okay? Plus, it’s not like I can explain it.’’

‘‘But, I don’t know. Maybe I can help.’’

‘‘You already did. I’m fine now.’’

‘‘But it’s not really over?’’ he guessed.

‘‘I guess not,’’ April shrugged. ‘‘But then will be then,’’ she kissed him on the lips, because she still hadn’t thanked him. ‘‘You know what _will_ be over?’’

‘‘What?’’ he responded to her smile with another.

‘‘Your game, because I’m playing too, and I’m gonna kick your ass.’’


	96. Cravings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by lunabelles as: _it's three in the morning._ Enjoy! :)

_Washington D.C., 2023_

Andy’s nostrils flared when a familiar smell slipped into his dream. It was the smell of pancakes, and now he could see the food before his closed eyes. But, as close as that plate was, his fingers would go right through it every time, making it impossible to grab even the little butter cube on the top.

Andy grunted in frustration, and that very sound woke him up. Rolling over, he reached for April’s waist, but his hand was met only by her cold, empty side of the bed. He then opened his eyes and checked both her absence and the ungodly hour that the alarm clock read.

* * *

Cravings were normal. It had happened to her all her life, and they were often very specific – April would sometimes have this urge for pepperoni pizza with a cheese stuffed crust, for Cesar salad with cherry tomatoes, lots of avocado and sour vinegar, or simply for Andy’s body. Okay, maybe the latter wasn’t that specific, but none of them would ever come as a surprise.

Pancakes, however, were new in the whims field. The middle of the night was also an odd time for her to crave anything. But that was exactly what she needed, and one of the best parts of being independent, non-boring adults was the freedom to use your damn kitchen whenever you wanted.

‘‘Honey?’’ Andy called from the hallway.

‘‘Kitchen!’’

April could hear his feet dragging across the carpet as he walked there.

‘‘It’s three in the morning…’’ he yawned. ‘‘You’re making pancakes?’’

‘‘Uh-huh.’’

Another good thing about having a non-boring husband was that he would never judge or ask why. Non-boring husbands rub their eyes, smile and help you cook. And so, Andy got to work by making some more dough, except he got a little too excited. Before April knew, her huge T-shirt (which was actually Andy’s) was covered in a mix of whisked eggs, milk and vanilla.

‘‘Oh, baby I’m so sorry!’’ he apologized, half remorseful, half surprised at what he had just done.

Andy stood there, frozen, a couple of liquid spots on his cheek. Sure a third one would do no harm.

‘‘You will regret that, Dwyer,’’ April smiled as she dipped her hand in the ready dough she was about to pour into the pan, and rubbed it against Andy’s face.

That _really_ took him by surprise, totally breaking his composure. He smiled wide, and April braced herself for a flour shower.

The food fight went on for a while. Because, after all, they were more than a non-boring couple. They were the coolest one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup, baby Jack was on his way.


	97. What Nobody Ever Could

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place in early season 2, and then after Harvest Festival.

There was a reason April had started wearing those cardigans again as soon as September came. There was a reason why she’d passed on Leslie’s invitation to the public pool closing party. And maybe the fact that she wouldn’t get rid of her bangs had also something to do with that.

It wasn’t easy to explain, yet it exerted its influence on her in the simplest ways. It wasn’t like a voice inside her brain, either, rather a certain knowledge that her body wasn’t meant to be shown. It had nothing to do with chastity – in fact, she’d had her fair share of hookups to date. April was just so painfully aware of all her flaws, from her abnormal features to the weird shape of her feet. And those who ever told her otherwise had been a bunch of compulsive liars with ulterior motives.

But, who cared? She could be a pretty good liar, too. Derek bought it pretty easily, maybe because of the alcohol, or maybe because he hadn’t yet met Ben when it happened. Sure April had been quite drunk as well, although not enough not to turn the lights off. She couldn’t see herself ever committing to it while her odd figure was so obviously exposed by lamps or daylight, precisely because she couldn’t see herself, period. But Darkness was a great ally.

* * *

The lights were on. A stale smell floated in Andy’s spare room, but that wasn’t a problem considering both of them had spent the day outdoors, sweating and melting under the summer sun as they looked for Li’l Sebastian. Hygiene was probably the last thing on their minds when they entered Burly’s house, already unable to let go of each other.

They went straight to Andy’s bedroom, April walking backwards as he led her by her waist, a slow dance to the rhythm of their lips. Soon enough, she was lying on her back on Andy’s futon, with him on top, kissing every inch of the skin April hated to be wrapped in. She’d much rather be wrapped solely in his arms, and right now Andy’s embrace was all that existed.

Both of their Harvest Festival shirts were already on the floor, but other than that things weren’t going forward, at least not more than usual. But something had clicked that night, maybe because of the three words he’d uttered to her before, maybe because something told her none of them were lying this time. Andy was a terrible liar, anyway, yet the truth was always so obvious in those joyful green eyes. Eyes that also reflected the novelty of love, along with a thirst that April sure could relate to.

Her self-hatred was an actual knowledge, but maybe, just maybe, April could forget everything she had ever learned for a while. Maybe by becoming another person, though not the one she’d pretended to be with others, but the one Andy saw in her. Someone lovable, desirable, even. Despite it not being the healthiest method, that would work for now.

The next level came, and so did they. The lights were still on.


	98. A Solution

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested on Tumblr by the lovely lunabelles, who got me out of my writer's block :)  
> Prompt: Jack is going off to kindergarten for the first time.

Nothing had changed since that very first day. April still had nightmares about it, only to wake up to the same scene, when it was time to drop Jack off at the school and reality would mimic those awful dreams. Except, at night, her subconscious tended to recreate that first time they’d had to leave him there, among the kind of people Jack dreaded the most: strangers.

It always started the same way. An excited, bright-eyed Andy talking wonders about how cool kindergarten will be as he fixes Jack a cereal bowl for breakfast. Jack’s timid smile at his father, as if he is starting to believe him. April’s hands stuffing her work bag with some folders, even though no one else in her office uses paper anymore. Alyssa’s text message confirming it is okay for April to be late for work that day. Honestly, she wouldn’t have missed Jack’s first day of school for anything in the world, with or without her boss’ approval.

Then the dream jumps forward, skipping the car ride and the songs Andy kept singing to Jack so he wouldn’t be so nervous. Jack sang along, too, and eventually, even April did, though reluctantly. That day, she had a bad feeling about what was coming. Yet, April’s nightmare version of herself seems more oblivious. She is smiling as they walk through the school doors, Jack holding his parent’s hands on each side. Out of the corner of her eye, she glimpses what seems like liquid grease dropping from the paper bag Andy is carrying. But the lunch she has prepared for her son isn’t at all greasy.

April is about to say something, but suddenly they are in another hallway, right in front of Jack’s classroom door. There are no other parents here, as opposed to the many suit and tie men and soccer moms that did surround them in reality. After all, Andy and April had wanted to find the best school for Jack, and that was the one Leslie had recommended. Barely affordable, but one of the greatest in D.C. according to the future governor of Indiana.

But that doesn’t mean Jack is going to like it. This is where the real nightmare starts, as soon as the first teardrop falls from the kid’s right eye, all songs forgotten. His classmates appear out of nowhere, parentless, yet happily running around and screaming like normal children do. Jack’s terrified face stands out like an obvious oddity, and his crying is even worse due to its silent nature.

April and Andy bend down beside him. She wipes Jack’s cheeks and pulls him in for a hug neither of them wants to ever end. Little nails claw at the back of her neck right before she hears those four words that break her apart.

‘‘Don’t leave me here.’’

* * *

Nothing had changed since that very first day. No matter how fun Andy tried to make each morning for him, Jack’s happiness would always expire at the same hour, when the school bell rang.

Just like his mother, the kid laughed a lot among those he really felt comfortable with. He was the light of the house – Jack’s giggle made everything brighter, and that was part of the reason Andy would wake him up by tickling his belly, or make funny faces as April got him dressed.

Still, everything vanished as soon as Andy gave the lunch bag to the teacher and kissed him goodbye. The man was desperate at this point, racking his average brain for a solution, for something that would make things easier for Jack without having to hire a private teacher and thus reinforce the isolation.

Andy thought and thought, staring through the window as he drank what was left of his beer. He watched his son and Tim Wallace play in the backyard, both getting all dirty in the sandbox simply because neither of them had the kind of parents that would scold them for ruining their clothes. That was at least what Andy figured, because, as much as he knew Jack’s best friend in the neighborhood, he’d never met the Wallace’s.

An idea came to mind, proving that sometimes so much thinking pays off.

* * *

‘‘Can I help you?’’ the middle-aged woman asked from the threshold, holding the front door ajar. It seemed to Andy that there was a tinge of suspicion in her look, but again, he could be wrong. He might as well be wrong about all of this, really.

‘‘Yeah, huh,’’ he cleared his throat, ‘‘I’m Andy. I’m Jack’s father… We live across the street? Anyway, I don’t think we’ve met.’’

‘‘No, we haven’t,’’ Mrs. Wallace snapped. ‘‘Mainly because whenever I’ve knocked on your door to introduce myself and, I don’t know, welcome you to the neighborhood, some woman would say ‘we’re not here’ and then all the lights would go off.’’

‘‘Yeah,’’ Andy chuckled, ‘‘that’s something my wife… does, I guess.’’

‘‘Well, nice to meet you, Andy.’’

The woman made an attempt to close the door, but Andy stopped her.

‘‘We didn’t know it was you! We wouldn’t have done that if we’d known.’’

Mrs. Wallace opened the door again, this time wider due to the sudden curiosity his words seemed to have aroused. Now he could see part of the hall, which was tastefully decorated even for Andy’s poor knowledge on furniture, yet not enough to be considered snobbish.

‘‘Actually,’’ he went on, ‘‘that’s kind of the reason I’m here.’’ Andy scratched the back of his neck, not sure how to keep her attention now that he had it. ‘‘You guys don’t seem like the rest of families.’’

‘‘Look who’s talking.’’

‘‘No, I- I mean it in a good way. Your son is kinda awesome - he and Jack always have so much fun together… I actually think Tim’s his only friend. Well, besides me, of course.’’

Mrs. Wallace smiled for the first time.

‘‘What I’m saying is that I’m assuming you’re pretty good folks and, I don’t know, maybe I could use some advice from you.’’

‘‘Hmm, okay,’’ she said, her scowl long gone now. ‘‘D’you wanna come in?’’

‘‘Nah, it’ll be quick. I was just wondering to which school Tim goes. Jack’s not exactly having a good time in his, so I figured…’’

‘‘Oh. Well, I’m sorry to hear that. Jack is such a nice kid, too. Quiet, but nice.’’

Andy shrugged, not really understanding how those two adjectives could be mutually exclusive.

‘‘Greenwood School,’’ the woman answered his question. ‘‘It’s not the most beautiful place in the world, actually it’s kind of creepy… But the teachers are well prepared, and, you know, Tim seems quite happy when we go pick him up.’’

‘‘Creepy, huh?’’ Score.

‘‘Yeah. But I’m sure Timmy would be thrilled to have his best friend in class.’’

Andy smiled wide, now seeing things from a whole new perspective. He couldn’t wait to tell April about it. He couldn’t wait for her nightmares to stop.


	99. Women’s Studies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by the wonderful lunabelles on Tumblr.  
> Prompt: Something with anxious Andy, and this time it's April who needs to comfort him.

‘‘Alright, son,’’ Ron said once they got off the maroon pickup truck –which he may or may not have parked in some teacher’s reserved space-. ‘‘Time to prove what you’ve learned.’’

April joined her boss on the sidewalk, subconsciously opening her hand so Andy could take it in his. But only the cool, soft breeze of the early morning skimmed her palm. No, Andy was not by her side – she knew it even before turning around to check. Her husband was still inside the vehicle, his gaze fixed on the horizon without really seeing anything.

‘‘Andrew!’’ Ron called.

But Andy remained still.

‘‘I’ll talk to him,’’ April sighed.

‘‘Okay,’’ Ron headed towards the yellowish building. ‘‘Just make sure my scholarship doesn’t go to waste.’’

April half smiled, grateful for the unasked, yet needed privacy. Then, she walked over the truck and jumped into the driver’s seat, closing the door right after. There was no need for words at this point, not after all those days of quizzing, throwing treats to his mouth and hearing about a bunch of women she couldn’t really bring herself to care about despite their actual relevance.

Instead, April leaned against Andy’s side, resting her head on his shoulder as her arms wrapped around his waist. Her touch brought him back to earth. He responded to the hug with a heavy sigh and kissed the top of April’s head.

‘‘I’m nervous,’’ he grunted.

‘‘I know.’’

‘‘I’m not going in there… Hey!’’ Andy broke apart, excitedly. ‘‘Let’s steal Ron’s truck and go four-wheeling!’’

‘‘Are you kidding? After all he’s done for us?’’

‘‘Yeah…’’ his face fell. ‘‘You’re right.’’

Andy grunted again, letting his forehead fall against the dashboard.

‘‘Babe, look at me.’’

He did as told, though as if his body weighed twice as much. April realized now he was covered in sweat, his pristine, blue shirt now stained under both armpits. Not caring for it, she cupped his cheeks with her hands, rubbing her thumbs against the oddly beardless skin.

‘‘You’ve been revising for months,’’ she said. ‘‘You know every freaking date and every stupid fun fact about those women.’’

‘‘Yeah, but…’’

‘‘You do! And you know any woman could kick your ass if they wanted to.’’

‘‘But you’d avenge me, though,’’ Andy half smiled.

‘‘Duh. I’d make myself a necklace with her teeth.’’

‘‘Ew.’’

‘‘The point is,’’ April’s eyes pierced his with all the conviction he needed, ‘‘you’re gonna go in there, and you’re gonna pass this course. We are proud of you already.’’

She leaned in to kiss him, Andy’s hand holding her head from behind to bring her even closer.

‘‘Hey,’’ he said when they broke apart. ‘‘Can we have steak if I pass?’’

‘‘Of couse,’’ April smiled and gave him another peck on the lips. ‘‘Of course we can.’’


	100. Not Yet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested on Tumblr by the superwonderful lunabelles as a "can't let go" kiss :3

_Washington D.C., 2018_

If April wanted to cuddle in his lap for another two minutes, or years, Andy wasn’t going to be the one complaining. Their room was completely in silence, save for the rain’s beating against the window pane, and the sound of their lips playing with each other. With his back rested against the headboard, there was little else in the world other than his wife kissing him on that messed-up bed, one last time before the last time before she would have to go.

This kiss in particular was lasting longer, going further than it was supposed to. April’s fingers snaked around the collar of his undershirt, causing his hand to slide down her back until it reached the end of her tank top.

‘‘I should get dressed,’’ she stopped him.

‘‘But, babe, who holds a meeting on a Saturday?’’

‘‘It’s not exactly a meeting,’’ April gave him another peck, but his lips were smarter and kept hers there for another while.

‘‘Then what is it?’’ he later asked.

‘‘It’s like this supper they throw once a year to thank the employees for our work, or whatever.’’

‘‘Oh,’’ Andy smiled, elated at the food he could only picture, ‘‘you should go and sneak out the leftovers.’’

‘‘Or another plate set,’’ she smiled back before kissing him again.

‘‘I’m starting to think you don’t wanna go,’’ he laughed against her teeth.

‘‘Just one more minute.’’

But then it was two minutes, and then a couple more, and more, until Andy lost count of the minutes and April lost track of time. He was perfectly fine with it. After all, April was way better than all the feasts in the world.


	101. Unspoilable Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by lunabelles on Tumblr as an "in the moment kiss" :) Hope you like it ^-^

At some point, April had stopped “dancing” with Ron. Sure they’d looked ridiculous among the other pairs that actually knew how to move, but that night she couldn’t have cared less. Nothing seemed to matter, except for the fact that she was now married to the only person she could ever have compromised to such a degree. To the only person she trusted, at least in _that_ way.

The bride was still a bit dizzy from the cheap champagne someone had poured into her cup a while ago, but that made talking to her two aunts somewhat bearable. Before she knew it, the creepy guy from Animal Control had replaced them, babbling nonsense as she looked around the room for Andy. His name was Harry, or Harris, or something like that. Apparently, he thought they were at someone else’s wedding, and something told April the alcohol wasn’t to blame for his confusion. He was just plain stupid.

‘‘So, obviously, dancing isn’t your thing, but that wouldn’t be a dealbreaker for me, you know?’’ Harris said.

‘‘Ew,’’ April grimaced. He really was starting to get on her nerves. And why were they talking to begin with?

‘‘I’m really into Latin chicks,’’ he took another long sip of his beer. ‘‘I was gonna try to hit that before I saw you,’’ he pointed towards a middle-aged woman on the improvised dancefloor.

‘‘Gross, dude! That’s my mother. Who even let you in?’’

‘‘The guy in the Colt’s jersey,’’ Harris shrugged. ‘‘He said everyone in our department was invited.’’

‘‘Well, that’s my husband.’’ April loved how it sounded. Even if the words were uttered to someone that insignificant, she loved it. ‘‘And I don’t wanna talk to you, so…’’

‘‘Really?’’ he asked, incredulous. ‘‘Well, nobody’s perfect, I guess. Anyway, you wanna get out of here?’’

‘‘No! Please leav-’’

April couldn’t finish. A couple of strong, recognizable hands grabbed her by the waist and spun her in the spot. The next moment, Andy was kissing her hard like they weren’t surrounded by almost fifty people, that pervert included. She smiled against his lips, rejoicing partly in his eagerness, and partly in the fact that that should mute Harris forever when it came to her. Not that she needed Andy to get that meathead to leave her alone, but if she had to choose a way to do so, that would have been it.

April cupped her husband’s cheeks in both hands, now forgetting about everything and everyone around, kissing him again, giving him clues on what would happen later that night. His skin was rosy and burning out under her palms, even for him, due to all those people warming up the house. Okay, maybe that wasn’t the only reason.


	102. Gone

Waking up in the middle of the night was now the norm, not the exception. And the nightmares were just part of the reason. The truth was, April hadn’t had a full night’s sleep in four months. The voids were too hollow, too dark, too many, even if there were only two of them. The first one was right beside her, that empty space of the bed that still smelled like him. The second one was inside her chest, and it was the hardest to handle. The only weapon she could use against them was Time, and the reassuring fact that both of them had an expiration date. Someday, he would come back.

But, for now, she’d have to endure it. Not that April was that co-dependent; she was fine as long as she kept herself busy. Funnily enough, she’d worked more during Andy’s absence than she’d had in the last three years, and Leslie was delighted. Not only was April the best director ever to lead the Animal Control department, but she’d also found herself sunk to her knees in the flowing dump that was Pawnee river.

Yeah, days were okay. Nights… not so much. Now she was tossing and turning again, cursing that old guitar on the floor, the sleeve of one of his plaids that stuck out the right side of their closet and everything in the room that was his but not him. But, as awake as April was, the loud blow on the wall made her heart skip a beat, because it still served its biological function, after all.

Startled, she sat up, pulling the covers up because suddenly it was dead cold. Squinting in the dark, she saw the window wide open, bumping against the inner side of the wall with every stream of air.

‘‘Ugh,’’ April grunted, getting out the bed to close it.

She made sure it was properly locked this time, missing the warmth of her bed each second she spent out of it. But, when April turned around, she experienced a different kind of freezing. The kind that paralyzes you. She stood there, immobile and barely believing what she was seeing.

There he was, staring at her from across the room, the hint of a shy smile on his lips. Yet there was something odd about him. He didn’t seem tangible, but made out of some translucent matter, almost like a hologram. She knew he wasn’t real - he’d sprung directly from her head, and that hurt the most.

‘‘What are you doing here?’’ April asked as she slipped back into bed.

‘‘I miss you,’’ Andy said simply. His voice was unaltered, as it was in April’s memory.

‘‘No, you don’t.’’

Holograms don’t miss people. And Andy was probably too busy enjoying his British breakfast, or flying Eddie’s drones, or whatever. Loneliness hit her like a lightning bolt, and the second void spread a little wider.  

‘‘I really do! I wish you could see this,’’ he gave her a frank look. ‘‘I wish you were here.’’

‘‘Then why did you go?’’ she snapped.

April knew how selfish that was of her, but she could afford it. As proud as she was of her husband, she needed to get that frustration off her chest, and that fake apparition was the perfect target. No one would be harmed.

‘‘Why did you leave me?’’ she went on in a broken voice.

He waited, and so did April. Then his eyes turned cold, no trace of the love they’d radiated just a moment ago.

‘‘Because you are too boring,’’ Andy said with no mercy. ‘‘You are nothing.’’

And just like that, he vanished before her, like the cigar smoke exhaled after the last drag. Just as fleeting under the moonlight, just as toxic, poisoning, lethal.

He was gone again.


	103. Inadequate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while, hasn't it? Here is a belated Thanksgiving fic I've been wanting to post for a while :)  
> Also, requested by lunabelles on Tumblr as A/A trying to plan for the holidays ^-^

‘‘So,’’ Andy began, not sure how to address what he had in mind. He already knew what her answer would be, but still had to ask. ‘‘Sure you don’t wanna go to Paris with your family?’’

‘‘Are you kidding?’’ April lifted her head to look at him, resting her chin on Andy’s chest. Somehow, Burly’s couch got more comfortable the more people lay on it. ‘‘I’m not spending Thanksgiving in a city where people only stop making out to eat omelets.’’

‘‘But I heard there’s another Disney World there.’’

‘‘You mean Disneyland?’’

‘‘No,’’ Andy laughed. ‘‘That’s weird.’’

‘‘If anything, that makes me want to go even less,’’ she rolled her eyes.

‘‘Okay…’’

Now it came the hardest part; he pondered it for a second, racking his brain for the right words. But April misunderstood his silence.

‘‘What?’’ she smiled. ‘‘Do you wanna go?’’

‘‘No,’’ Andy said softly. ‘‘I mean, yes, I do, but not yet.’’

‘‘Andy,’’ April stroked his cheek, which was enough to reassure him. Her touch was as cold as loving, and even now Andy wondered how that was even possible. ‘‘What is it?’’

‘‘Well, I was wondering… All my brothers are coming to town for Thanksgiving. Maybe… we could celebrate with them and my mom?’’

April couldn’t seem to help the grimace that followed his words. After that, she tried to keep a straight face lest she offended him, but to Andy her struggle was more than obvious. He hated himself for asking such thing, knowing her as he did. They already had the perfect night alone all planned, and it wasn’t like he wasn’t totally up for it. But, on the other hand, the idea of the most amazing girl he’d ever been with getting along with his family was too appealing not to try. Andy knew they would love her, and that she would eventually like them too. Just like he knew April would hate to even consider being in a house full of strangers, forced to play a role that had little to do with their silly, secret games. Except the Dwyer’s were too laid back to even care about that.

‘‘Or maybe just drop by for a sec?’’ Andy tried to fix it.

April averted her look, glancing at the beer cans they still hadn’t bothered to clean up from the table, but never really seeing them. Then she exhaled deeply, as though hundreds of possible scenarios were projecting before her eyes, scenarios where she dropped an entire silverware on the floor, or was meticulously examined –and judged- by Andy’s sister-in-law. April prided herself on not giving a damn about what other people would think of her, but Andy knew better.

‘‘Or we could just stay here,’’ he gave her a sincere, reassuring smile.

April stared at him again. He could almost feel her muscles relax on top of him as she smiled back at him, although apologetically.

‘‘Really?’’

‘‘Sure,’’ he played with a strand of hair that was loose from her lazy ponytail. ‘‘Plus, I’m dying to beat you at that crazy food contest we’re having.’’

She sighed, probably still thinking too many things for Andy to keep up with, but in the end they all converged in the same fight against herself, or maybe even between her and the people who still represented a threat despite having no intention to attack. By this point, Andy was able to understand even though he couldn’t see the words ‘‘people’’ and ‘‘menace’’ in the same sentence.

‘‘I’m sorry, Andy,’’ April said like she’d done the most terrible thing, but also as if she was used to letting herself and others down for the same reason, resigned to never seeing a change for the better.

‘‘Hey,’’ he whispered softly, cupping her cheek with one hand. ‘‘It is totally okay. You are the person I have the most fun with, after all. I don’t need anything else.’’

‘‘Thank you,’’ she pecked him, slightly smiling again and resting her head back on Andy’s chest. ‘‘But I’m totally winning that contest,’’ she added.

* * *

As much as Andy liked to call it his ‘‘sexy sweater’’, April had secretly named it the _Warmest Sweater_ , for obvious reasons. Despite that hole in the upper arm, it was the coziest clothe in the house, and a great ally whenever her boyfriend’s arms around her weren’t enough to keep her warm.

Yes, maybe she wasn’t cold anymore, but insomnia was striking hard nonetheless that night, and April knew all too well why. It was that feeling of inadequacy again, the certainty that Andy would be better off with a regular, sociable girlfriend, and above all, the weight of everything she just couldn’t do squashing her like the heaviest stone.

Sick of all the toss and turn, April figured a glass of milk would maybe calm her down a bit, and so she got up and headed silently to the kitchen. It was even colder there, and again April was thankful for that sweater she could swim on. She examined it more carefully as the microwave did its job, wondering how that hole had even been made (one of Andy’s classic falls?), what it was made of, why it smelled so good. She looked at every detail, as if the fabric was suddenly the most interest thing she’d ever seen.

Eventually, and despite the freezing cold, she took it off, curious about the store Andy had got it at. There was no label, no brand logo that would identify it. Weird.

‘‘Can’t sleep, babe?’’ Andy yawned beside her as he walked over the three steps between the kitchen and the living room.

‘‘I’m afraid so… Hey, can I ask you something?’’

‘‘Yeah.’’

‘‘Where did you get this sweater?’’

‘‘Oh, my mom made it,’’ he smiled. ‘‘Why?’’

Okay, maybe she was dreaming, because only in dreams would April be that impulsive. Although probably she was just too sleep-deprived to think clearly. In any case, she really felt like trying now. It wasn’t because of the sweater itself. It was the sense of deep love to it, a tenderness that Andy might share with his family. After all, those who raised him didn’t do it wrong at all. Before she knew it, the words were already coming out of her mouth.

‘‘I think we should go. You know, to your mother’s house, on Thursday.’’

‘‘Babe, we’ve talked about this. You don’t have to if you don’t want to.’’

‘‘But I want… I mean, I wanna at least try. I can always escape through a window if I mess up or something.’’

Andy grinned at her like a little child right before lifting her in the air as he hugged her tightly. From that moment on, April didn’t find herself regretting her decision. Not even a bit, not even once. As for her own inadequacy, things would come, and they would see.


	104. The Strongest Wind into Breeze

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested ages ago by lunabelles on Tumblr, as something with big brother Jack and baby Natalie. Enjoy! ^-^

Maybe she’d been fooling herself the whole time, ever since that conversation with Leslie where April had ranted off about everything she knew would happen if she said _yes_. Not yes to Andy, but to herself, to her fate. She did, eventually, and that precious demon baby soon proved her wrong.

Jack made the hellish path of motherhood April had never really stopped dreading look so easy. It didn’t take long for her to understand his simple needs, to which she responded before he let out a second whine. No bawling, not a sole tantrum at the grocery store, not even the smallest fight with the other kids in the playground. All in all, April was starting to believe she wasn’t such a terrible mother, after all.

Now she knew the truth, though. April just couldn’t take the credit; she wasn’t a good mother, she’d just hit the Jack-pot. The boy was genuinely good-hearted, much like his father, and the shyness that he might have taken after her had prevented him from making any sort of scene, or arguing with kids Jack wasn’t interested in in the first place.

But, on nights like these, April cursed herself for believing it was always such an easy ride. Turns out, Natalie had inherited none of her mother’s quietness, and funnily enough, the baby’s needs were harder to figure out the more she _expressed_ them. Thus, Nat’s crying would get louder with each of April’s misinterpretations, and her hopelessness increased with every scream. April loved her daughter more than anything in the world, but she would never be the mother Nat deserved.

‘‘I’m no good at this,’’ April muttered in bed, her sore back against the headboard. A single tear fell from one of her wide eyes, leaving a darker spot on Natalie’s onesie. The little girl still writhed in her arms, crying for something that probably hadn’t even been invented at that point in history.

‘‘What?’’ Andy asked above the noise, getting a bit closer to her for better hearing.

‘‘I can’t do this, Andy!’’ she yelled this time. ‘‘I don’t know what she wants! I never do.’’

‘‘Of course you don’t, honey,’’ he wrapped one arm around her. ‘‘Nat doesn’t speak English yet.’’

‘‘UUGH!!’’

‘‘But hey, you’re doing amazing, babe.’’

‘‘Shut up,’’ April said, although not sure what member of her family she was really talking to. ‘‘I’m a terrible mother, okay? I’m sorry your big project went to shit.’’

‘‘My… My project?’’ he frowned, puzzled. ‘‘What do you m-’’

‘‘Nothing,’’ April hugged Natalie tighter, yet again addressing both of them. ‘‘I’m sorry. Forget it.’’

Definitely, she was losing it, and even worse, she was taking it out on the one who least deserved it, the one who had supported her, cared for her and comforted her along the way. April obviously didn't mean what she’d said, as it usually happened when she was angry at something she couldn’t really identify, but that looked quite a lot like herself. At times like these, she was lucky her husband wasn’t too quick at grasping her poisonous words.

April lifted her head from the inconsolable baby she was holding, only to see Jack standing by the threshold. He was so silent, like a ghost… How long had he been there?

‘‘Hi, baby,’’ April smiled. She felt some of the mounted tension leave her body as she spoke. ‘‘You can’t sleep either, huh?’’

Jack shook his head and approached the edge of the bed.

‘‘Why is she so sad?’’ he asked.

‘‘She’s not sad,’’ April said softly, her voice barely audible above Nat’s screaming. ‘‘She’s just…’’ What?! ‘‘I don’t know.’’

Jack eyed his mother, understandingly, as if he could see her desperation despite never having felt such thing himself. Sometimes, April would see something in that look, something in between wisdom and empathy that shouldn’t dwell in the eyes of a three-year-old.

Without a word, Jack stretched out his little hand and placed it on Natalie’s cheek. And then, something amazing happened: silence. Everything stopped – the crying, April’s swelling nerves, the hint of concern in Andy’s expression, even time itself. Jack had always a calmer way of solving things, and stroking his sister’s cheek was just another example of it.

‘‘See?’’ Jack half-smiled, his big eyes fixed on the now peaceful baby. ‘‘She was just sad.’’

A second tear ran down April’s face, yet it was a completely different one. She couldn’t be proud of herself, but she was sure proud of what she had. Andy kissed her temple as Nat drifted off in her arms. And, in that moment, she knew they would make it.


	105. Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by lunabelles on Tumblr, the prompt being: "You are in love with her." :)
> 
> Takes place after episode 3x04.

‘‘Since when do you like NutriYums?’’ Andy asked as he reached for the requested snack behind the counter at the shoeshine stand.

‘‘I need some trash to get into my system,’’ Ann sighed. ‘‘And I’m pretty sure that’s the most unhealthy thing you have here.’’

Andy gave her the bar in exchange for a dollar bill, which Ann handed to him with shaking fingers. Her frustrated tone didn’t go unnoticed either; after all, he still knew her pretty well. Yes, his feelings for her were nothing like they used to be, but there were some things he could never forget about her, one of them being Ann’s cravings whenever she was upset about something.

‘‘Is everything okay?’’

‘‘Yeah, it’s just… yeah,’’ the nurse half-smiled in a way that Andy could have only described as fake.

Then she headed towards the Parks bullpen, but turned around just a couple steps in.

‘‘Actually, no,’’ Ann walked back to the stand. ‘‘I’m not okay.’’

Why she was venting off to him instead of Leslie was beyond Andy, but he was glad he could help anyway. It would be nice to make it up to her after having been such a terrible boyfriend in the past. Plus, it was like he was messing everything up lately, especially when it came to April. He could use some good karma for a change.

‘‘What happened?’’ he asked, genuinely interested.

‘‘Well… You saw it in there, Chris wants _April_ to go to Indianapolis with him,’’ Ann complained. ‘‘I’ve been hinting at it for days now, but he won’t give me any clues on where we are as a couple. I don’t know, maybe he doesn’t want me to move out with him.’’

‘‘I know,’’ Andy managed to say.

There it was, the conversation he’d been trying not to think of all the afternoon, because he had shoes to polish and clients to smile at. He just couldn’t see himself doing so without April watching from her reserved chair at least twice a day. That entire building, the entire town, would make no sense without her.

‘‘Andy?’’ Ann’s voice brought him back.

There had to be something else he could say to comfort her, but suddenly it was like he couldn’t even see what her real problem was. Like when you leave your room to do something in the kitchen, but you can’t figure out what you were going for once you get there.

‘‘Well, I don’t see her leaving,’’ he lied to the two of them. ‘‘I mean, picking up Chris’ vitamins for a living? That doesn’t sound like April at all.’’

‘‘That is so not the point, Andy,’’ Ann pinched the bridge of her nose, like she used to do whenever his lack of understanding exasperated her.

‘‘Then what is it?’’

 ‘‘Ugh, never mind,’’ Ann said, unwrapping the sugary bar and taking an anxious bite out of it.

Yet again, he’d been too slow, too self-centered. No wonder he’d been a bad boyfriend when he could barely function as a friend.

‘‘No, tell me. I wanna help.’’

‘‘I just did, Andy,’’ Ann sighed, although she didn’t seem so angry this time. ‘‘But clearly you got only half of it.’’

An awkward silence followed as Ann seemed to be pondering whether to try again or go find Leslie instead, as she probably should have from the beginning. As for Andy, he couldn’t help but wonder how some interactions could be so confusing, while others were as easy as breathing. Then, something changed in the nurse’s expression, a realization that turned into a knowing smile that Andy couldn’t read either.

‘‘You are in love with her,’’ Ann’s smile widened.

It wasn’t a question, not even an accusation. It was just the plain phrasing of a fact, like when people in an elevator inform their soaked up coworkers about the rain outside. Of course, everyone in the Parks Department (and probably the whole City Hall, since Andy tended to talk about it while working) knew he had a thing for her. But _love_? No one had ever used that term before.

‘‘Well…’’ he mulled it over.

Except, apparently, love wasn’t something one could think through. Love was meant to be felt, and it certainly wouldn’t get along with logic or common sense. And right now, these two were screaming for him to let go – he couldn’t allow himself to depend on someone that might flee at any second, not after what had happened with Ann. But, despite all the screaming, rationality didn’t have a say in it. There had to be something that would make April want to stay. And he would rack his brains to find that something, simply because giving up just wasn’t an option.

‘‘I’ll see you around, Andy,’’ Ann was still smiling when she waved him goodbye.

‘‘Ann!’’ the shoeshinist called before she turned around the corner. ‘‘I think you should ask him, whatever the problem is… You guys’ll figure it out.’’

‘‘Thanks!’’ Ann’s gaze turned warmer, as if she actually appreciated his poor advice. ‘‘I think I will.’’

Andy watched her as she tossed that NutriYum bar in the nearest trash bin, from which he rescued it as soon as Ann was out of sight.


	106. Reckless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another missing moment from the Harvest Festival episode :3  
> Requested by the amazing lunabelles on Tumblr, the prompt being: "you could have died." Enjoy!

‘‘We need a bird’s eye view,’’ Ron said, looking up.

‘‘You want me to climb on top of the Ferris wheel?’’

Apparently, Andy was willing to do anything, even risking his own life, if that meant finding Li’l Sebastian once and for all. He clearly loved that mini-horse a lot, which was more than could be said for April. _Awesomesauce_? C’mon!

No one took Andy’s offer too seriously, though. Sometimes, his cluelessness got so far that it was hard to tell whether he was joking or not. But, as April had learned even before they’d started dating, most times that dork really meant what he said… which was probably the very reason he hadn’t said it back before, and for that April was kind of thankful. After all, any silly answer was way, way better than a lie she would have easily believed, given the way he’d treated her these days.

Up until that morning, she had rejoiced in Andy’s sincerity – it was nice not having to be watching her back at all times, as it often happened with the rest of her acquaintances, except for maybe Orin. There was a sense of innocence to his frankness that made her feel safer than ever. But it was too good to be true, and she should have seen this coming.

April was so caught up in these thoughts, she barely saw Andy leaving her side and run towards the huge wheel, motionless now as new passengers hopped on in pairs. By all means, he’d taken their silence as a _yes_.

‘‘Andy!’’ she called, but her voice was hardly audible over the festival racket. On second thought, better so. Caring is pointless without reciprocation.

But, in a matter of seconds, Andy’s impulse turned from reckless to actually dangerous. Before she knew it, he was climbing up the rusty skeleton of the ride with fierce determination, and higher than anyone could have expected from a guy in such a bad shape.

‘‘Holy Moses!’’ Ron exclaimed beside her, heading to the wheel as fast as a man could go without actually running.

April followed him, wondering why she should take care of a 29-year-old man who couldn’t bring himself to love her.

‘‘You are not allowed to do that, sir,’’ a teenager in a staff shirt just like theirs called from the ground with a shaky voice. ‘‘I’m… I’m gonna have to call the police.’’

‘‘No need to do so, wheel-man,’’ Ron shut him up. ‘‘I’ll take care of this. Get down from there, son!’’

Yet no threats or words of wisdom seemed to dissuade Andy from going even higher.

‘‘I’m just gonna get a quick peek,’’ he said.

Okay, this was getting beyond ridiculous. Andy was one random slip from face-planting on the dirt below, and maybe getting even more brain-damaged than he already was. Just picturing the fall made her sick, and she told herself that she would have done the same for –almost– any other human being when she yelled:

‘‘Andy! Dude, get down already!’’

For the first time, Andy stopped mid-climb, looking down at last.

‘‘Why, babe? Don’t you wanna find him?’’

‘‘You’re gonna hurt yourself. C’mon, we can go up in the cabs!’’

He seemed to ponder it for a second.

‘‘Will you stop being mad at me if I go down?’’

‘‘Yes!’’ she lied out of desperation. They would deal with _that_ later, if there was even something left to say on the matter.

‘‘Okay,’’ he smiled and started his way down.

‘‘Be careful!’’ April let out. Maybe she actually wanted that conversation after all, and so she needed him alive.

Andy’s feet reached solid ground not long after, and April couldn’t do much to stop his arms from wrapping her in a tight hug that would have healed her completely in any other circumstances.

‘‘Don’t do stuff like that again,’’ she nudged him when he broke apart.

‘‘Aww, babe, you were worried about me?’’

‘‘Are you kidding? You could have died!’’

‘‘But I didn’t,’’ he said proudly.

‘‘Well, good for you.’’ April snapped before getting into the lowest cab. Now that he was safe, it was easier to remember she was the one who had been really hurt.

Andy followed suit, and a tiny part of her was glad he did so. They still had things to discuss.


	107. Partners in Crime

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an extension of chapter 49 (Side Effects), and takes place later that day. Because, again, 5x12 is so important.  
> Requested by lunabelles on Tumblr as: "we could get arrested for this." :)

For the second time that day, another terrible meeting was over. For what it seemed like the hundredth time that week, April had had to deal with those jerks, which she wouldn’t have done for all the money in the world. What really had gotten her through it was the odd feeling that she owed Leslie something, even though April wasn’t exactly one for quid pro quos. Also, she wouldn’t have survived the first day without Andy’s support. He barely talked –really, did he even know what those meetings were about?-, but his sole presence was enough to keep her from spiraling. At least while the public was watching.

Then, at some point, they’d leave the place, and she’d collapse into the nearest chair, defeated by the anxiety backlash. Not today, though. Today, Andy’s forgetfulness had come as a blessing in disguise. Until then, pretending to be Leslie had been the only way to endure those terrible sessions, because even when April had nothing, she still had role play. That was another thing she’d learned from Andy. But who would have thought not having to feign anything would make things easier? What’s more, those meetings offered the chance to get to be mean to those freaks, no holds barred, and April could only regret she hadn’t realized earlier. Now she was eager for more.

‘‘So, when do we have the next one?’’ April asked excitedly, like a wrestler ready to win another round.

‘‘Actually… I think we’re done, babe,’’ Andy checked the only paper on his side of the table. ‘‘You did it!’’ he smiled wide.

‘‘Are you kidding? Now that I’m starting to have fun with it?’’

‘‘Well, speaking of fun…’’ he scratched his beard. ‘‘There’s a chance we can still have some fun out of this.’’

‘‘How?’’

April loved that. She loved that mischievous side of him, like a child doing something wrong and knowing he’ll get away with it. Above all, she loved when he created little mysteries for her, not quite revealing what he had in mind for them to have a good time. And that smile that said ‘just trust me’ was something she could never get enough of.

April trusted him indeed, and so she took the hand he held out for her and followed him outside the building. Then they ran the short distance between the latter and City Hall –Andy was out of breath by the time they reached the Parks Department– and, still holding her hand in his, he gently dragged April into the conference room, where the Leslie clothes she’d been wearing on the previous days were still all over the place.

She could almost taste the disappointment. They’d done it there a million times, and there was a part of her that was hoping for Andy to come up with something a little more original. As for the clothes, she wouldn’t be putting any of them on ever again, not even to spice things up a bit. That would only make it weird, not _fun_.

‘‘Andy…’’ she began.

‘‘You hate these clothes, right?’’

April nodded, the mystery now resurfacing.

‘‘And you think Leslie wants to keep them?’’

‘‘Well, she definitely shouldn’t.’’

‘‘In that case… Why don’t we do her a favor by burning them? Plus, we can celebrate how you aced that last meeting.’’

Now, that was _fun_.

‘‘I’m totally in!’’ she grinned at him.

‘‘Awesome! Let’s do it in the courtyard!’’

‘‘I wish… But we could get arrested for that, babe.’’

‘‘Yeah, that’s what I thought at first,’’ Andy said as if he’d invented light himself. And, in a way, he had. ‘‘But then, I remembered _I_ am the main authority here. You see? The security guard basically rules this place. And now, I am that guy!’’

‘‘Andy, that’s n-’’

On second thought, who cared? He deserved his own fantasy, his own fiction, because that was simply their way. It always had been.

‘‘Okay,’’ she agreed. ‘‘Let’s burn this shit to ashes.’’


	108. Tell Me Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested on Tumblr by (you guessed it!) wonderful lunabelles :) Prompt: "tell me again."

_Pawnee, 2052_

‘‘Isn’t it better this way?’’ Jack asked without even turning to face her, his fingers tracing invisible circles on Andy’s gravestone. ‘‘Honestly.’’

‘‘It is, Jack,’’ April agreed. ‘‘I always like it better when it’s just us. Here, with him.’’

‘‘Then why?’’

A bunch of autumn leaves whirled with yet another blow of the sharp wind. The sky was clear, though, now turning red beyond the cypresses adorning the limits of Pawnee Cemetery. April had never been much resistant to cold, but now that her skin was thinner and more fragile than ever, she felt almost naked no matter how many layers she wore.

‘‘You know why. People in this town adored your father. He… he gave them all so much joy, especially after we moved back,’’ April’s voice broke at the end, which made her son finally look at her. But she managed not to shed a tear, somehow. ‘‘You heard what they said: he was-’’

‘‘…the soul of Pawnee, yeah, I was there,’’ Jack sighed. ‘‘But still… it seems fake to me, you know?’’

‘‘It’s just a symbolic ceremony. And now it’s over, and they’re all gone, so can we just focus on the here and now, please?’’

April shivered again. Now _everything_ felt cold.

‘‘Okay,’’ Jack walked the ten feet between them, took off his jacket, and carefully placed it over his mother’s shoulders. ‘‘I’m sorry.’’

‘‘It’s okay,’’ April leaned against him, feeling the instant relief in her legs.

‘‘Tell me again,’’ Jack said after a brief silence. ‘‘Tell me why these people loved him so much. Y’know, so I can believe them a bit more.’’

Jack half-smiled at her, and for a moment April could see her young self in his features, now embellished by the last orange beams of the day. Because he was still so young indeed, and not only in the sense that, to April, he would always be her little boy. Jack was barely in his thirties, and he still had a lot to learn. There were things he couldn’t possibly understand, not yet at least, and April certainly couldn’t blame him. In fact, he was a way more decent human being than she’d been at his age, which filled her with pride every day.

Now he was kind of admitting his own lag in the twisted path of life, giving her the chance to make him see things from a different angle. Aware or not, he was asking for them to take a step forward together, and for her to give him the tools to grow… Which April did happily. And so, she told him about his father. What it started as a detailed yarn on what a great man Andy was for the community soon digressed into her own love for him, and how it all started between them. Jack listened closely throughout the whole monologue, smiling at times, frowning at others, and even laughing at the funniest parts.

Before April knew it, the sun was long gone, and only a purple shade could be seen on the horizon. Jack’s arm was still around her waist, keeping her warm along with his jacket. Not another chill ran down her spine that night.


	109. Lot 48

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested on Tumblr by lunabelles :) Prompt: "what are you thinking about?"
> 
> Takes place at some point in 5x07 (Leslie vs. April)

April hated her. She hated Leslie’s guts like she’d never hated anyone before, except maybe Stacey Knoblauch. Well no, that wasn’t true. But she was pissed, and above all, frustrated by her own powerlessness in that office –something that, by the way, April never thought would be a problem–. And now this? How could Leslie have underestimated her so blatantly? Maybe April didn’t quite _hate_ her per se, but she certainly couldn’t stand being patronized that way. The fact that her boss assumed she could be fooled so easily had proven how little Leslie thought of her.

‘‘Hi, honey,’’ Andy greeted her from the couch as soon as she stepped into the living room. He was tuning his guitar, a pair of big headphones on his head. ‘‘How was Orin’s art show?’’

‘‘Oh, it was great,’’ April deadpanned as she tossed her bag aside and collapsed next to him.

‘‘Awesome!’’ he grinned at her. ‘‘Wish I could’ve seen it. I’ve been busy all day trying to figure out who stole my computer. Oh! By the way, Chri-’’

April’s look was still fixed on the switched-off TV when she felt a sole, warm tear running down her cheek. She wiped it off quickly, yet not before Andy noticed.

‘‘Babe…’’ Andy took his headphones off and scooted over so she could lean against him. ‘‘What is it? What happened?’’

‘‘Nothing. It’s just… Ugh.’’

‘‘Is it because of this morning’s presentation?’’ he frowned. ‘‘I thought it was pretty convincing when we rehearsed it.’’

‘‘The presentation was fine,’’ April sighed. ‘‘More than fine, actually. It was just the two of us in there.’’

Andy grabbed her hand, giving her something to look at as her fingers played with his. The distraction allowed her to go on:

‘‘But it didn’t matter. She couldn’t have cared any less about it.’’

‘‘You sure? That doesn’t sound like Leslie at all.’’

‘‘She said she had dibs on Lot 48 or something. That there is no way I can make a dog park out of it,’’ April clenched his hand a little tighter. ‘‘And even worse, she pretended to like Orin’s show just so I wouldn’t insist on it.’’

‘‘Dibs, huh?’’

‘‘Yeah. Totally professional on her part.’’

Oddly enough, Andy said nothing to comfort her, not even a word against their boss’ demeanor. Instead, he gently pulled apart and jumped on his feet.

‘‘No...’’ April grabbed him by his maroon hoodie.

‘‘Give me a minute, babe. I’ll be back in a sec.’’

She waited there, forcing herself to remain seated even after a metallic rumble came from one of the rooms. When he finally came back, he was holding a dirty piece of fabric and a couple of aluminum bars. Andy laid them on the floor and tried to assemble them. The final result kind of looked like a camping tent, although small enough for anyone to get claustrophobic once inside.

‘‘My God, Andy, where did you get that?’’

‘‘Behold!’’ Andy gestured at the jumble. ‘‘My former house.’’

‘‘What?’’

‘‘This is where I lived before Burly took me in,’’ he scratched the back of his neck, ‘‘I used to camp at Lot 48, and this was… Well, this was my home.’’

‘‘Okay…’’ April was still unsure what his point was.

‘‘Every one of us has some kind of connection to that lot. I mean, this, Ann’s house, Ron’s buried gold… Fuck, I’m not supposed to say anything about that!’’

‘‘Ron has gold there?’’

‘‘My point is, maybe Leslie is afraid of losing her part on Lot 48, everything she’s worked on for so long.’’

‘‘Well, I’m not going to take her stupid… part from her. I just want you and Champion and all the other dogs to have some place to run around.’’

‘‘Then tell her,’’ Andy shrugged as if that was the easiest thing to do. ‘‘Maybe you could share the land for your projects.’’

‘‘I’m not sharing anything with that traitor,’’ April crossed her arms. Then, another glance at the tent made her soften her expression. ‘‘But thank you for sharing this with me, babe. I’m glad you don’t have to live like that anymore.’’

‘‘Me too,’’ Andy sat beside her again and gave her a side-hug.

‘‘The rats must have been awesome, though.’’

‘‘Well…’’

Even so, she wouldn’t change a thing. Who would have thought, back then, that Andy would have his own place? Or that they would live there together? Who would have thought that she would come to him after work –like, an actual job- with the pettiest problems, but still ones that she would actually care about? Yeah, rats got nothing on that. The thought of it made her lips curve into a smile.

‘‘What are you thinking about?’’ Andy asked.

_I’m so proud of us._

‘‘Just that we need to go find Ron’s gold someday.’’

‘‘Oh, yeah,’’ he kissed the top of her head. ‘‘Sure we do.’’


	110. Mail and a Meal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by lunabelles as "It's always been you. It will always be you." I changed that a bit, but there you go :)

Helping Ann pack up definitely wasn’t on April’s bucket list. But, if that meant that hag would be moving out any sooner, it was her pleasure to collaborate. That’s why she’d agreed in the first place, and April kept it in mind every time she had to lift a buffet twice her size, or that she got her hands scratched from assembling so many cardboard boxes. Anything so Ann would leave as soon as possible, forever.

‘‘Okay,’’ Leslie panted as she placed another empty box on the table next to April. ‘‘I’m going to help Ann in the kitchen now. Sure you got this?’’

‘‘Yes,’’ April rolled her eyes.

‘‘Great. Don’t steal anything!’’

Once her boss was gone, April began shoving all those random items into one of the boxes. Most of them were merely decorative, though in the plainest sense of the word. Why were there so many tacky pictures of flowers? Even so, it was kind of disappointing not to have found anything embarrassing she and Andy could laugh about later that day. All in all, that house was as lame as its owner.

After April was done with the shelves, she figured she should pack whatever was inside of the drawers too. She then rescued another empty box from the floor and started with the ones in the sideboard. Not a lot could be said about the nurse’s jewelry, or the old keys and empty wallets she hadn’t gotten rid of for some reason. A vintage Polaroid camera was the only thing worth of April’s attention… yet she couldn’t bring herself to disobey Leslie’s orders, and put it in the box as well.

April was almost done with the next compartment when she glimpsed a strange pile of papers at the back. Envelopes, as she learned when she reached for them. They had Ann’s address on them, but the sender was unknown. Okay, maybe April’s morals had prevented her from stealing anything –yet–, but Ann’s bunch of secret letters? C’mon, no one could resist that.

Before opening the first one, April made sure the two other women were still busy with their task, which soon was confirmed by Leslie’s laughter coming from the other side of the house. Then she unfolded the letter inside, and her eyes went straight to the bottom of it. Because she knew all too well whose that handwriting was, and Andy’s signature was just the confirmation of it.

‘‘What the f-’’

From that moment on, nothing could have stopped her from reading the content itself. It was the only way she could breathe again, or at least get her heartbeat back. Much to her reassurance, the missive seemed to have been written long, long ago. And, as April checked, so were the others. They were from a time when Ann and Andy were already broken up; he was homeless when he wrote the older ones (hence the lack of a return address), and living with Burly in the others. Those letters were a sad attempt of Andy’s to get them back together, and April deemed the desperation in them quite unhealthy. Not at all like the Andy she knew, but then again, he’d grown a lot in the last few years.

She knew that was part of the past. But if so, why was the lump in her throat still there? Why was that last letter crumbled up in her fist? And why had she never got one?

* * *

‘‘Something’s off with you,’’ Andy pointed out after another long silence. Not that they would usually talk a lot while they enjoyed JJ’s burgers, but still Andy had managed to notice soon after they’d ordered.

‘‘No, it’s not,’’ April played with one fry on her plate, avoiding to meet his stare.

‘‘Aww, babe!’’ he smiled knowingly. ‘‘You are sad Ann is leaving town!’’

 ‘‘I’m not!’’ she kicked his leg under the table.

‘‘It’s okay,’’ Andy chuckled. ‘‘I won’t say a word.’’

‘‘Ugh, that’s not… That’s not what’s wrong.’’

Andy’s laugh stopped immediately, and then he gave her that concerned look she knew would inexorably lead to her telling him everything.

‘‘Then what is it?’’

‘‘Well, you know Leslie and I have been helping her out this morning, right?’’

‘‘Uh-huh.’’

‘‘So, while I was packing the stuff in her room… I came upon a bunch of letters… that you wrote.’’

‘‘Oh. Oh, my God,’’ Andy cringed, burying his face in his hands. ‘‘I can’t believe she didn’t burn them.’’ Then he laughed again, as if it wasn’t a big deal. ‘‘So embarrassing!’’

‘‘Yeah,’’ April half-smiled, though not quite at ease yet. ‘‘You sounded pretty desperate.’’

‘‘What a jerk,’’ he shook his head.

Andy took another bite of his burger; April took another deep breath. Looking down, she realized she hadn’t eaten anything yet.

‘‘Wait,’’ Andy read her again. ‘‘Is that why you’re upset?’’

‘‘Well, kind of,’’ she shrugged. ‘‘I mean, looks like you really loved her.’’

‘‘April.’’ Not ‘babe’. Not ‘honey’. _April_. He was being serious, and that made her look up again and swim in the honesty of those green eyes as he reached for her hand across the table. ‘‘You know that doesn’t matter now, right? It’s you. It’s always been you.’’

‘‘Well, not always,’’ April pointed out, now with a genuine smile on her face. Deep down, she knew.

‘‘Feels like that, anyways,’’ he smiled back at her.

‘‘Yeah… Me too.’’

April ate at last, only to find JJ’s food tasted somewhat different that night. Better.


	111. Time's Arrow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by lunabelles on Tumblr, the prompt being: If you could go back in time, would you stop yourself from meeting me?  
> Takes place during episode 3x03, Time Capsule.

It was a regular Tuesday at the Parks Department. Donna’s nail polish was almost dry, and so was the coffee Jerry had spilled all over his new, horrible sweater vest. Andy was pouring himself another one – he just couldn’t afford to drop by the cafeteria every time he’d feel sleepy, and everything at the coffee cart was free, anyways. Plus, it was the perfect excuse to see April. He’d never needed one… not until now, that is. Now she wouldn’t even look him in the eye, and what was even worse, she had a new boyfriend.

The funniest part was that, after having spent most of his morning hanging out with Eduardo, Andy couldn’t bring himself to hate him. The guy was genuinely nice; they even had a pretty similar taste in music, and Burly would be thrilled to know another Mouse Rat CD had been sold that day.

Regardless, Andy was reminded why they couldn’t really be friends as soon as he entered the bullpen. Eduardo was sitting right there, across April’s desk, usurping the same chair Andy once called his own. Kind of. It made him sick.

The shoeshinist took his time to add some milk and sugar to his otherwise black coffee as the couple chatted. Although, now that he was paying attention, it looked like Eduardo was making most of the talking. April seemed lost in her thoughts; her answers were either grunts or monosyllables, and her expression was enough for Andy to tell something was off. There was a time when he could have tried to help, make her laugh, treat April to one of her favorite snacks. But now that was Eduardo’s job. And, honestly, he should be fired.

‘‘So, what’s that giant can for?’’ Eduardo asked.

‘‘It’s a Time Capsule,’’ April rolled her eyes. ‘‘Apparently, Leslie wants to encapsulate the spirit of Pawnee,’’ she air quoted.

‘‘That’s cool.’’

‘‘It’s not cool,’’ she grimaced. ‘‘They should put a turd inside and just leave it at that.’’

Andy used the cup he was drinking from to hide his following smile. God, even in anger she was hilarious.

‘‘And then that thing would take the turd to the future?’’ Andy piped up.

‘‘Uh-huh,’’ April deadpanned. ‘‘Could be two of them if you got inside too.’’

‘‘What?’’ Andy didn’t quite get it.

‘‘C’mon, don’t be so harsh on him, baby.’’ Then Eduardo turned in his seat to where Andy was standing. ‘‘I don’t think you can actually time travel in that thing, amigo.’’

‘‘I…I knew that,’’ Andy frowned.

‘‘Would be awesome, though,’’ Eduardo went on. ‘‘What time would you go to?’’

_To the past. Back to when she and I…_

‘‘I don’t know,’’ Andy shrugged, now feeling weird.

The sudden pain inside his chest spread like a storm cloud that shadowed every little good thing he could still cling to. Eduardo faded like the minor character he was, and so did Donna and Jerry, and whoever else was there. April was the only thing that remained clear to his vision, yet he felt like she was farther than ever… Like he’d lost her forever.

And then, for the first time in ages, April met his gaze. It wasn’t a fierce look, though; there was no trace of resentment in those huge eyes Andy had missed so much. They only seemed pensive, as if she was pondering something, trying to make possible the impossible. Not enough to make that cloud disappear, but at least the aching thunders stopped for as long as that look lasted.

‘‘What about you, April?’’ Eduardo’s voice came from somewhere, and the rest of the room reappeared, slowly.

‘‘I’d go back, I guess,’’ she said, her voice so little.

‘‘So you could stop yourself from meeting me?’’ her boyfriend asked playfully, a dumb smile still on his face. Just as dumb as the question itself, meant for that little game some lovers play to show affection by asking what they already know. Except maybe this guy didn’t know April as well as he thought, since she didn’t answer right away, nor the way he’d probably expected.

‘‘Hmm…’’ April said eventually. ‘‘Yeah. I wish I could do that.’’

She then stood up, her eyes fixed on the floor as she headed to the exit door. April’s hands were hidden within the long sleeves of her yellow cardigan; an odd detail to notice, but that’s what Andy did, anyway. She left without saying a word, and then the place got even colder than before, as did Andy’s coffee.

‘‘What’s wrong?’’ Eduardo asked him, puzzled. ‘‘What did I say?’’

Definitely, he was in over his head. Maybe April was starting to learn this. Maybe not, and Chris’ plan was way too optimistic, just like everything he would ever say. Maybe Andy was just as clueless as the guy in front of him. Time would tell, even if no one really had any power over it, not even via time machines, or capsules, or whatever they were called. Time would tell.


	112. Outsmarted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested on Tumblr by lunabelles as ‘‘How much of that did you hear?’’
> 
> Believe it or not, this fic is not sponsored.

‘‘So, tomorrow morning?’’ Andy slipped into bed next to his wife and rested his back against the headboard.

‘‘Yeah,’’ April looked up from her book, taking off her glasses. ‘‘Leslie will be here around ten.’’

‘‘Sweet. By the way, where do the kids think we are going?’’

‘‘Dentist appointment,’’ she half-smiled. ‘‘They’ll have zero interest in coming with us.’’

‘‘You are so smart, babe,’’ Andy raised one hand for a high five.

Honestly, he couldn’t be any more excited. Christmas was to Andy what Halloween was to April – the lights, the family reunions, the food, all those laws that prevented everyone from being rude to each other… And, above all, the gifting. Among all the things Andy had learned since becoming a father was the fact that giving was even better than receiving. Mostly because he got to spend a whole day in a toy store, but also because Jack and Nat’s faces on the 25th were just priceless.

‘‘We’re gonna have to make a stop at Best Buy this year,’’ April went on. ‘‘And, after that, you know the drill.’’

‘‘The drill?’’ Andy’s eyes widened in terror. ‘‘But I thought the whole dentist thing was a sham?’’

‘‘I meant that you know what to do,’’ she rolled her eyes. ‘‘Just, don’t get lost at Toys-R-Us again.’’

‘‘Best Buy, huh?’’ Jack’s voice came from behind the ajar bedroom door, which opened right after. The ten-year-old stepped in with a knowing smile on his face and crossed arms. ‘‘Does that mean I’m getting that PS3D I asked for?’’

‘‘Jack!’’

‘‘Oh, my God!’’ Andy exclaimed. ‘‘How much of that did you hear?’’

‘‘Enough,’’ the boy shrugged. ‘‘But don’t worry, I’ve known it since third grade.’’

‘‘Of course you have,’’ April sighed. She seemed pretty unsurprised considering they’d never told Jack about Santa’s little secret. But, on the other hand, it wasn’t the first time Jack was five steps ahead of their assumptions. ‘‘Shouldn’t you be sleeping, anyway?’’

‘‘Vampires don’t sleep at night, mom,’’ Jack replied as if that was obvious. ‘‘Plus, I need to use your bathroom. _Someone_ made a mess out of ours.’’

‘‘Sorry, bud,’’ Andy scratched the back of his neck. ‘‘I tried to hurry but…’’

‘‘Ew!’’ mother and son spoke at the same time.

 ‘‘So, can I?’’

‘‘Sure,’’ April put her glasses back on. ‘‘Just one thing. Don’t tell your sister.’’

‘‘Never have, and never will. At least not for as long as video games keep me busy, if you know what I mean.’’

‘‘I don’t,’’ Andy said, confused.

‘‘He’s basically blackmailing us,’’ April scoffed. ‘‘Seriously, Jack, you tell her, your father will be using your bathroom for a month.’’

Jack’s olive skin turned pale in less than two seconds. Without a word, the kid went into their en-suite and closed the door behind him.

‘‘Babe, I don’t know what that was about, but I like our bathroom better.’’

April stared blankly at him right before bursting into laughter. And, as much as her laugh was Andy’s favorite sound in the world, it didn’t make things any clearer for him.

‘‘I was bluffing,’’ she whispered.

‘‘Oh.’’

Okay, maybe Jack was _a hundred_ steps ahead when it came to him, but he still knew one thing: they needed to get that PS3D in the morning.


	113. You’d Rather Something Toxic

It wasn’t like the whole apartment hunting had been to no avail. In fact, April didn’t remember having so much fun since the other hunting day, when everyone had gone to the woods and she and Andy had had the Parks Department all to themselves. That day, they’d ruled the bullpen like a couple of proud owners. Little did she know then that the second chair at the shoeshine stand would become her own reserved spot, a place to really call her own. Sort of.

It was certainly a corner of freedom, of no pretending, of letting the walls come down. Laughter, black coffee and stale muffins were also in the mix, but Andy was for sure the main ingredient. His light was contagious, and there was a genuine goodness in him April felt inexorably drawn to, maybe because she was quite the opposite. Selfishly, she wanted to cleanse herself in a way.

Except, of course, even Andy’s cheerfulness died out every so often. And there was only one trigger. Now that she thought about it, he hadn’t brought her up all day. April smiled to herself, not because Ann could actually be relegated in some way, but because of what sorting out his priorities could mean to Andy. If anything, he would be happier.

 ‘‘What’s so funny?’’ Andy asked, wiping his hands with a rag.

‘‘Nothing,’’ she shrugged. ‘‘I was thinking, you’re gonna have to throw your bag of smells away.’’

‘‘Guess so,’’ Andy sat on the chair next to her with a sigh. ‘‘Burly seemed pretty pissed off.’’

‘‘Looks like a terrible roommate.’’

‘‘Nah, not really. He was nice enough to let me have his spare room after-’’

Well, there it was. The fun was over, and so was the real Andy. Now, all April had for company was the corpse Ann had left behind, unburied.

‘‘So, is it better than the pit, then?’’ April tried to cheer him up.

Her question was unheard, though. Andy had spaced out, as he often did whenever the subject came up; his look fixed on the wall in front of them without really seeing anything. April waited, because that was just what she did, even when all of her wanted to stand up and leave. She wanted to leave him there, dwelling nonsensically on his own pain. It’d been long enough, and sometimes April thought he simply took pleasure from all the suffering. But that was just the meanness in her talking. She knew loss all too well - things didn’t work that way. So, she waited, patiently.

‘‘I can’t believe I lost it all,’’ Andy said after a while. ‘‘I’ll never find anyone like her, ever.’’

Well, there he’d got a point. April didn’t let it hurt, though. Detachment had always been the easy way, and she should have known better than to expect anything different. She would let him be forever in love with his lost nurse, and keep getting free snacks every morning. Selfishly, she could do that.


End file.
